Studies on Intestinal Helminths Infection and Habits among Clinically Diagnosed Typhoid Fever Patients Attending Health Care Facilities in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria

Abstract

Enteric infections like salmonellosis and intestinal parasitosis are widespread diseases 
affecting human population in Nigeria. Poor personal and environmental hygiene, 
waste disposal and consumption of uncertified foods sold by commercial vendors are 
major factors that encourage stable transmission. The present study investigated 
intestinal helminthes infection and habits among clinically diagnosed typhoid fever 
patients attending health care facilities in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue 
State, Nigeria. Direct Wet Mount Technique, Formol-ether Concentration Technique 
and Modified Ziehl-Neelsen Method were the standard techniques used for this study. 
Four hundred and thirty six (436) typhoid fever patients were consented and 
participated in this study. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasites in the present 
study was 30.7 %. The intestinal helminthes identied in this study and there 
prevalence include, Ascaris lumbricoides (7.34 %), hookworm (4.13 %), Strongyloides 
stercolaris (3.21 %) and Trichuris trichiura (2.06 %) with total prevalence of 16.74 %. The 
result revealed that there is synergetic relationship between intestinal helminths 
infections and typhoid fever in relation source of drinking water (P=0.028). Since both 
diseases share social circumstance such as poverty and hygiene, the populace should 
be educated on the importance of personal hygiene and appropriate drugs should be 
made available at reduced and affordable costs.