Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection amongst the urban population in district Valsad, Gujarat state
Raina, V.K.; Mohanty, B.; Kumar, A.
Journal of Communicable Diseases 21(3): 245-247
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-5138 PMID: 2614051 Document Number: 336654
Prevalence of intestinal parasites was studied in Valsad, Gujarat State, India. Stool samples were taken from 100 randomly chosen families and examined by direct and formol-ether concentration techniques. 505 stool samples were collected and 104 (20.6%) were positive for one or more pathogenic parasites. Giardia lamblia was most commonly encountered (13.1%), followed by Entamoeba histolytica (10.7%), Iodamoeba buetschlii (3.8%), Hymenolepis nana (1.2%), Trichuris trichiura (0.8%) Ascaris lumbricoides (0.8%), hookworm (0.2%). Various non-pathogenic amoebae were also found. The people surveyed lived in quarters with modern sewage disposal and a protected water supply. It is this high socio-economic status of the people that is thought to account for the very low prevalence of certain parasites, e.g. hookworm.