Parasitic infection among primary school students in Meuang District, Phitsanulok Province, Thailand

Abstract

This study was to investigate the prevalence of parasitic infection among primary school students in Meuang District, Phitsanulok Province, Thailand. From February 2002 to December 2002, a total of 528 students was examined. The student age range was 6 to 10 years. Two hundred and sixty-six subjects were male and 262 were female (male to female ratio 1.02 : 1.00). A diagnosis of Enterobius vermicularis infection was made by using the Scotch cellulose tape technique and a diagnosis of parasitic infection was made by using the formalinether concentration technique. It was revealed that 1) thirty-one students (5.87%) were infected with E. vermicularis and Trichuris trichiura, 2) there was no significant difference in the incidence of infection with regard to student gender and age, 3) the family socio-economic backgrounds (education and income) had no relationship to the prevalence of the enterobiasis, 4) the prevalence of infection was significantly associated with the bathing behaviors of the subjects.