PREVALENCE OF INTESTINAL PARASITES AND SCHISTOSOMIASIS IN SOUTH-WEST ETHIOPIA

Abstract

During the period between March and August 1971, the authors carried out fecal and urine examinations of school children, inhabitants and out-patients in Sidamo, Gemugofa, Kaffa and Illubabor Provinces which were located in the South-western part of Ethiopia. These surveys revealed that 66-93% of the examined population harboured miscellaneous parasites as shown in Tables 1 and 2. Among the parasites found, Trichuris trichiura, Ascaris lumbricoides and hookworm were abundant in all the areas examined. At the same time, it was noted that Taenia saginata and Entamoeba histolytica infections were also considerably high among the studied population.
The comparative examinations carried out on the out-patients who visited the Central Laboratory & Research Institute at Addis Ababa in 1971 and 1975 confirmed that the Taenia and E. histolytica infestations in the capital were as high as those of the above mentioned rural areas. On the. contrary, those of the other intestinal nematodes were rather low in Addis Ababa (Table 3).
The present surveys demonstrated the existence of autochthonous transmission of Schistosoma mansoni in Lakes Awasa, Abaya and Shamo, because of the positive finding of S. mansoni eggs in the surrounding areas. Although the prevalence of schistosomiasis is not yet so serious in these areas, this fact should be taken into consideration when the agricultural and industrial projects are implemented in the Rift Valley in the very near future.