Full Length Research Paper

Prevalence of soil transmitted helminths and impact of Albendazole on parasitic indices in Kotto Barombi and Marumba II villages (South-West Cameroon)

L. Nkengazong¹, F. Njiokou¹*, S. Wanji^2,3, F. Teukeng¹, P. Enyong² and T. Asonganyi⁴

¹Department of Animal Biology and Physiology, Faculty of Science, P.O. Box 812, Yaounde, University of Yaounde I, Cameroon.

²Research Foundation of Tropical Diseases and Environment, P.O. Box 474 Buea, Cameroon.

³Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, P.O. Box 63, Buea, Cameroon.

⁴Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Science, University of Yaounde I, Cameroon.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: njiokouf@yahoo.com.  Tel: 77719631.

Accepted 20 January, 2010

Abstract

This study assessed the actual prevalence of geohelminths and the impact of albendazole on parasitic indices in Kotto Barombi and Marumba II. Stools samples were collected from 420 school children and examined using the Kato-katz faecal technique. Participants were treated with 600 mg of albendazole. Baseline prevalence of infections and mean parasite loads were 26.4% and 6226.9e/g (Ascaris lumbricoides), 31.0% and 252.4 e/g (Trichuris trichiura), and 1.4% and 468.0e/g (Necator americanus). Four children (0.9%) were infected with Strongyloides stercoralis. A significant difference of prevalence was observed between the two villages for A. lumbricoides (P = 0.0001) and T. trichiura (P = 0.0005), and parasite loads for T. trichiura (P = 0.0001). Single infection (T. trichiura or A. lumbricoides) and double infection (A. lumbricoides - T. trichiura) were more prevalent. Post treatment control showed a decrease of prevalence and mean parasite load to 24.4% and 2969.5e/g (A. lumbricoides), and 24.0% and 112.8e/g (T. trichiura), and 0.0% for N. americanus and S. stercoralis. Efficacy and egg reduction rates were 84.6% and 55.3% (T. trichiura), 82.0% and 52.2% (A. lumbricoides), and 100.0% for N. americanus and S. stercoralis. These results suggest that geohelminths infections remain a serious health problem in school children in Kotto Barombi focus.

Key words: School children, geohelminth, prevalence, parasite load, albendazole, drug efficacy, Kotto Barombi, Marumba II, Cameroon.