title: Worm infestation and anaemia among pre-school children of peasant farmers in Calabar, Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Worm infection and anaemia are common childhood conditions in Nigeria. We assessed the status of helminthiasis and associated anaemia among pre school children of peasant farmers aged 1-5 years living in a rubber plantation near Calabar, Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross sectional.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred and fifty children were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling technique. Freshly passed stool was examined using Kato-Katz method while anaemia was estimated using haematocrit technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 350 children, 174 (49.7%) had intestinal helminths: Ascaris lumbricoides 64.4%, hookworms 10.9% and Trichuris trichuria 1.1%. There were 41(23.6%) children with polyparasitism, 33 of them were due to Ascaris lumbricoides and hookworms. The worm load was generally light in intensity with egg per gram of stool ranging from 24-60,960. Males (28.9%) were infected more than females (20.8%). The frequency of infection increases with age. The prevalence of anaemia among the entire study population and in those infected with worms was 56.6% and 56.9% respectively. With polyparasitism there was a relative increase in the frequency of anaemia females > males.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Worm infections and anaemia are common in our children. A comprehensive control strategy involving good sanitation, sinking of bore hole for clean water supply and regular deworming exercises are recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria. adakujobi@yahoo.com
authors.forename: M U
authors.initials: MU
authors.lastname: Anah
authors.forename: O E
authors.initials: OE
authors.lastname: Ikpeme
authors.forename: I S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Etuk
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Yong
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ibanga
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Asuquo
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology*; D000818:Animals; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D010273:Parasitic Diseases, Animal / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors