Study on the status of prevalence of strongyloides stercoralis infection among children in agricultural areas in beit lahia, gaza strip

Abstract EN

This study was conducted in Bait Lahia town in order to find the rate of prevalence of Strongyloides stercoralis parasite.

The study reveals that the prevalence rate of Strongyloides stercoralis was extremely high compared to the previous studies conducted in the same region.

Bait Lahia town is located in the north governorate of Gaza Strip.

It is bordered in the west by the Mediterranean Sea, in the north by Israeli colonization, Jabalia camp from the south, and Bait Hanoun town from the east.

The population of the town is nearly 55.000 people.

In order to conduct the study, random cases were selected from eleven unique agricultural regions in Bait Lahia town.

The prevalence of Strongyloides stercoralis and other intestinal parasites were assessed by the examination of stool specimen from each of the random selected 1600 individuals aged between 3-18 years, using direct fecal smear and formalin- ether concentration techniques.

The overall infection rate was 74.6 %( 1195) and 13.4 %( 213) of the cases had multiple infections.

The infection rate of Strongyloides cases was 5.6% (90) and most of those infected children were passing adult worms.

Moreover, 45.8 %( 733) of the children living near the sewage water pools were infected by Ascaris lumbricoids.

Amongest the protozoa infection, Entamoeba histolytica was observed most frequently 5.5 %( 88) and Giardia lamblia was 3.5 %( 56), other less commonly found parasites were T.Trichura and H.

nana.

The high rate of parasitic and multiple infections reflect the low socioeconomic status of the studied community.