Intestinal helminthiasis in children of gurez valley of jammu and kashmir state, India.
BACKGROUND
This paper is a part of the helminthological studies carried out on school-going children of the Kashmir Valley and deals with the status of intestinal helminths in the children of Gurez Valley and to assess epidemiological factors associated with the extent of endemic disease so that control measures are adopted.


METHODS
Stool samples were collected from 352 children from Gurez Valley. The samples were processed using Kato-Katz thick smear technique, and microscopically examined for intestinal parasites.


RESULTS
Of the 352 children surveyed, 75.28% had one or more types of intestinal helminthes. Prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides was highest (71.18%), followed by Trichuris trichiura (26.42%), Enterobius vermicularis (13.92) and Taenia saginata (5.39%). Conditions most frequently associated with infection included the water source, defecation site, personal hygiene, and the extent of maternal education.


CONCLUSIONS
The study shows a relatively high prevalence of intestinal helminths and suggests an imperative for the implementation of control measures.
Wani
Showkat Ahmad
SA
P. G. Department of Zoology, The University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Kashmir.
Ahmad
Fayaz
F
Zargar
Showkat Ali
SA
Amin
Ayesha
A
Dar
Zubair Ahmad
ZA
Dar
Pervaiz Ahmad
PA