Prevalence of intestinal parasites in children and its effect of hemoglobin level

ABSTRACT

A total of 856 stool samples from school going children of District Abbotabad were examined for intestinal helminths. The overall infestation rate was 35.3% of which 6.6% showed mixed infection. Ascaris lumbricoides was the commonest [74.11%], followed by Hymenolepis nana [15.1%]. Trichuris trichura [7.4%], Entrobius vermicularis [0.9%], Taenia Saginata [0.9%]. Ankylostoma duodenale [0.6%], Entamoeba histolytica [0.6%] and Giardia lamblia [0.3%]. The overall mean Hb was 12.6 g/dl, and there was a significant difference in Hb levels between the infected 1nd non-infected subjects who had 11.4 g/dl and 13.6 g/dl Hb respectively [P< 0.05]