Epidemiological study of Hymenolepis nana in children in Kalar city / Sulaimani province

Abstract

A total of 321 stool samples from children (169 males and 152 females) attending to Kalar general hospital with complain of gastroenteritis were collected and tested. Microscopic examination of samples revealed that an overall of 4.04% (13/321) of children were infected with H. nana. The frequency of H. nana infection in preschool (1 - <6 years) and school age children (6-12 years) was 0.92% and 5.63%, respectively. Non significant difference (P>0.05) was observed between frequency of infected children in both ages. The frequency of H. nana was higher in males (5.32%) than in females (2.63%) but it was not significantly different (P>0.05). The highest frequency of H. nana infection was observed in school age children in both city center (7.77%) and villages (4.71%). No significance correlation (P>0.05) was observed between H. nana infection and gender, sources of drinking water and different localities of Kalar city. Significant difference (P<0.05) was observed between H. nana infections in orphan children and children whose father's employees, laborer, farmer, or idle. H. nana infection was not observed in children whose mother's were employed.