title: Socio-economic factors associated with intestinal parasites among children living in Gombak, Malaysia.
abstract: Fecal specimens collected from 456 school children in Gombak, Malaysia, revealed an overall prevalence rate of 62.9%. The most common parasite found was Trichuris trichiura (47.1%) followed by Giardia intestinalis (14.7%), Entamoeba coli (11.4%), Entamoeba histolytica (9.9%) and Ascaris lumbricoides (7.9%). Infection rates were high among the Indonesian immigrant workers' children (90%) followed by the Orang Asli (79.5%), Malay (59.4%) and Indians (36.4%). Females (66.3%) had a higher prevalence rate than the males (58.5%). The prevalence of infection was found to be associated with the socio-economic status, water supply, sanitary disposal of feces and family size. Albendazole administered as a single dose (400 mg) was found to be effective against Ascaris (100%) and hookworm (92.3%) but was not effective against Trichuris (39.2%).
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rajeswari
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sinniah
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hussein
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015766:Albendazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001196:Ascariasis / Q000188:drug therapy; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006725:Hookworm Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011528:Protozoan Infections / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014257:Trichuriasis / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D015766:Albendazole