Prevalence and Risk Factors of Geohelminthiasis in Umuebu Community, Ukwuani Local Government Area, Delta State, Southern Nigeria.

Aims: The objective of this current study was to determine the prevalence, intensity and associated risk factors of Geohelminthes infections or Soil transmitted helminthes (STHs) among pupils in Umuebu Community, Ukwuani Local Government area of Delta State. Study Design: A cross sectional study was undertaken to assess the status of soil transmitted helminthes infection with respect to prevalence, intensity and associated risk factors among school children in Ebu Primary School Umuebu and the entire community in Ukwuani Local Government Area, Delta State. Place and Duration of Study: The field study was carried out in Ebu primary School, in Umuebu community, Delta State while the laboratory work was carried out at the Department of Zoology and Environmental Biology, Lagos State University, Ojo Nigeria and Queen of the Apostle Catholic Hospital Laboratory, Obiaruku, Delta State all in Southern Nigeria between April and December, 2011. Methodology: Eight hundred and seventy eight (878) children were randomly selected. They comprised of 466 (52.76%) males and 412 (47.24%) females between the ages of 5-13 years in the master list of Ebu Primary School, Umuebu. The stool samples were examined for the presence of STHs using direct smear and Kato-Katz techniques. Results: Eight hundred and seven (92.74%) of the subjects were infected with Geohelminthiasis. The overall prevalence by species was Ascaris lumbricoides (76.89%), Hookworm (54.60%) and Trichuris. trichiura (29.24%). Two hundred and eighty two (39.40%) were infected with two or more STHs. The prevalence and intensity of all species of STHs significantly varied with age (p>0.05), with the highest prevalence in age group 5-7 years. The sex related prevalence show that males were more infected for all species of STHs than females, but this was only statistically significant for hookworm (p>0.05). Multiple logistic regression analysis for the epidemiological variable showed that licking of fingers, drinking from wells or surface tanks and geophagy were risk factors for A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura infections while walking barefooted was only risk factor for hookworm infection. Conclusion: Targeted health education on hygienic practices coupled with the establishment of sustainable and regular deworming programmes in the community are advocated considering the high prevalence of STHs reported in this study.

Social Aspects of Malaria among Students in Two Tertiary Institutions in Lagos; Nigeria

Studies were carried out on the social aspects of malaria among 600 students. Three hundred students (150 male; 150 females) were randomly selected from two tertiary institutions in Lagos; Nigeria. These schools are Lagos State University (LASU) and AOCOED (Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education). A structured questionnaire elicited relevant information on knowledge; perception and social aspects of malaria. Students aged 21-23; from faculty of arts and in their second year participated mostly in the study with no significant difference between the two schools. In LASU; 223(74.3) and 211(70.3) in AOCOED knew the cause of malaria (P0.05). In LASU; 282(94) and 192(64) in AOCOED believed that malaria could be prevented (P0.05). In LASU; 283(96) and 283(94.3) in AOCOED believed malaria could be treated (P0.05). 109 (36.3) respondents in LASU and 112(37.3) in AOCOED thought that malaria was contagious (P0.05). Fever was the most recognised symptom of malaria in both schools and self-medication was more popular in AOCOED. In LASU; 284(94.6) and AOCOED; 273(91) had malaria in the past one year (P0.05). 146(48.7) of the students who participated in LASU and 206(68.6) in AOCOED had been admitted for malaria within the past one year (P0.05). Class absenteeism and low academic performance were significantly higher in AOCOED than LASU. However; our results suggested that the LASU students were more informed about malaria than the AOCOED students because their knowledge and perception was better. The students; despite their academic backgrounds need intensified health education on malaria incorporated into their schools' curriculum

Transmission Dynamics of Malaria in Four Selected Ecological Zones of Nigeria in the Rainy Season

Background: Two of the problems of malaria parasite vector control in Nigeria are the diversity of Anopheline vectors and large size of the country. Anopheline distribution and transmission dynamics of malaria were therefore compared between four ecotypes in Nigeria during the rainy season. Methods: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used in molecular identification after morphological identification microscopically. Enzyme linked immunorsorbent assay (ELISA) was used for the blood meal analysis and sporozoite detection. Results: Five species were identified out of 16;410 anophelines collected. An. gambiae s.s made up approximately 29.2-36.6of the population in each zone. All five species acted as vectors for P. falciparum . An. gambiae s.s had the highest sporozoite rate. The most infected mosquitoes were found in the rain forest. More blood meals were taken from bovids; except the savannah forest; where 73.3were on humans and Human Blood index (HBI) was 57.3. The Entomological inoculation rate (EIR) was a mean of 13.6 ib/p but was highest in the rainforest zone. Conclusions and limitations: This study demonstrates the complex distribution of anophelines and the considerable variations in the intensity of malaria transmission in Nigeria. We highlight the need to consider diverse epidemiological situations when planning countrywide control programmes

Behaviour and population dynamics of the major anopheline vectors in a malaria endemic area in southern Nigeria.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Anopheline mosquitoes consist of a large number of species each of which differs from another in population, resting and feeding behaviour in relation to the prevailing conditions in the locality. A longitudinal study was carried out to investigate the population dynamics, resting and feeding behaviour of the major anopheline species found in a rain forest zone of Nigeria. METHODS: Mosquitoes resting and biting indoors were collected using WHO standard techniques and supplemented with outdoor-biting collections in the study areas between January and December 2004. Samples were sorted and identified microscopically for morphological features while molecular identification was carried out using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques. RESULTS: PCR-based tests showed that both indoor and outdoor collections constitute three groups of Anopheles mosquitoes, An. gambiae s.l. Giles (68.6%), An. funestus Giles (30.7%) and An. moucheti Evans (0.7%). Of the 1342 female Anopheles mosquitoes collected indoors, 799 were caught resting and 543 were caught biting. The outdoor-biting population accounted for 28.8% of the total collections (n=1885). There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the biting activities (indoors and outdoors) of these species in four villages. However, An. arabiensis and An. moucheti were more exophagic with >60% of their biting occurring outdoors while An. gambiae and An. funestus were more endophagic with >55% of their biting occurring indoors. The human-vector contact with An. gambiae and An. funestus (indoors) was about 73.3 and 66.7%, respectively as against 27.7% in An. arabiensis and 25.3% in An. moucheti. This gave the corresponding man-biting rates (MBR) of 17.5 bites/man/night for An. gambiae, 14.6 bites/man/night for An. funestus, 6.7 bites/man/night for An. arabiensis and 4.3 bites/man/night for An. moucheti. Moreover, the number of An. gambiae and An. funestus caught resting indoors was significantly higher than the other two species (p < 0.05). The wet season collections showed thatAn. gambiae caught were more than 67% of the total catch while An. arabiensis was predominant in the dry season (chi2 = 75.44, df = 3, p < 0.01). INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: The present study highlights some aspects of the behaviour of anopheline mosquitoes in southern Nigeria which is an important component of epidemiological study of malaria. This information provides basis to the understanding of the role played by the identified anopheline species in malaria transmission and a baseline to formulate malaria control programme.