Prevalence and Intensity of Soil-transmitted Helminths Among Adults Attending Nsukka Health Centre in Nsukka LGA, Enugu State, Nigeria
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Abstract
Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) remain a major public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa, yet evidence on their prevalence and species distribution among adults attending healthcare at Nsukka Health Center remains limited. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and intensity of STHs among adults attending Nsukka Health Center in Nsukka LGA, Nigeria. A total of 112 stool samples were collected from adult patients attending the healthcare and examined using the direct examination method and the formol-ether concentration technique, followed by microscopic identification. Infection intensity was assessed using the Kato-Katz method, with egg counts expressed as eggs per gram (EPG) of feces. Overall, 41(36.6%) participants were infected with STHs. Among infected individuals, 25(22.3%) had Ascaris infection, 14(12.5%) had hookworm infection, and 2(10.5% infected females) had hookworm and Ascaris co-infection with Giardia lamblia. Sex-based analysis showed 19(46.3%) females and 22(53.7%) males among the 41 infected persons. Intensity assessment showed predominantly moderate infection: for Ascaris, 14 had light infection (<5,000 EPG) and 11 had moderate infection (5,000–50,000 EPG); for hookworm, 7 had light infection (<2,000 EPG), 6 had moderate infection (2,000–4,000 EPG), and one had heavy infection (>4,000 EPG). These findings demonstrate that STHs are moderately prevalent among adults attending the Health Center, with Ascaris being the most common. Health education, deworming programs targeting adults, and intensified promotion of handwashing, sanitation, and personal hygiene are recommended. The modest sample size and the hospital-based design may limit the generalizability of prevalence estimates, and larger community-based studies are needed to validate these findings.
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