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| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2020 |
Volume
: 45 | Issue : 4 | Page
: 425-428 |
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Prevalence of intestinal parasitosis among under-five children in a rural community of Purba Bardhaman District, West Bengal
Saptarshi Banerjee, Soumalya Ray, Prabha Shrivastava, Dilip Kumar Das
Department of Community Medicine, Burdwan Medical College, Purba Bardhaman, West Bengal, India
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Soumalya Ray
Department of Community Medicine, Burdwan Medical College, Purba Bardhaman, West Bengal
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/ijcm.IJCM_461_19
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Context: Intestinal parasitosis (IP), a group of diseases caused by one or more species of protozoa and helminths, is still considered a neglected tropical disease and a public health concern in India. Poor sanitation and unhygienic conditions largely contribute to sustained transmission, primarily among children, adversely affecting health and development. The problem needs area-specific assessment and interventions. Aims: The present study aimed at determining the prevalence of IP and its correlates among under-five children in a rural community of Purba Bardhaman district, West Bengal, India. Settings and Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Bhatar Block of Purba Bardhaman district. Subjects and Methods: Mothers/caregivers of 294 under-five children (selected through multistage sampling) were interviewed for background characteristics at the household level, and stool samples from each child were collected, transported, and examined for ova/parasite/cysts following standard guidelines. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical analysis of the data obtained was done using SPSS (V20). Results: The overall prevalence of IP was 17.0%. Majority of the intestinal parasites were protozoa (42, 84%), of which the most common was Giardia lamblia (24, 48.0%). Age of the child and practice of defecation showed a significant association with IP on logistic regression. Conclusions: Protozoa, mainly G. lamblia, contributes for majority of intestinal parasitic infections among the study population, and children belonging to the age group of 25–60 completed months and with open-field defecation practice have higher risk of acquiring them.
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