ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to determine the distribution of intestinal parasites in primary school children in the Alahaci Central Village in the Sivas province, but owing to high prevalence of parasites in soil, new stool specimens were taken from the same subject group after 6 months. In the first stage of investigation, stool samples from a total of 189 children were taken and examined. It was found that the 110 (58.2%) out of 189 subjects were infected with parasites. The distribution of parasites was determined to be as follows: Giardia intestinalis in 33 (17.4%), Ascaris lumbricoides in 30 (15.8%), Entamoeba coli in 17 (8.9%), Entamoeba histolytica in 10 (5.3%), Hymenolepis nana in 9 (%4.8%), Endolimax nana in 8 (4.2%), Blastocystis hominis in 2 (1.1%) and Iodamoeba butschlii in 1(0.5%). In the second stage of the investigation (after a 6 months break), stool samples obtained from a total of 175 children were examined and 73 (41.7 %) were found to be infected with parasites. The distribution of parasites was as follows: Giardia intestinalis in 17 (9.7%), Ascaris lumbricoides in 17 (9.7%), Entamoeba coli in 29 (16.6%), Entamoeba histolytica in 1 (0.6%), Hymenolepis nana in 1 (0.6%), Blastocystis hominis in 1 (0.6%), Trichuris trichiura in 1(0.6%) and Iodamoeba butschlii in 6 (3.4%). The lower prevalence observed during the second investigation (p< 0.05), shows the importance of education and treatment of children in the control of parasitic infections.