Questionnaire survey and prevalence of intestinal helminthic infections in Barru, Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract

A questionnaire survey with parasitological study was carried out on the inhabitants of 4 villages in Barru district, Sulawesi, Indonesia from 1994 to 1995. The questionnaire dealt with life style and sanitary conditions. In 482 houses in the 4 villages, interviews for the items of the questionnaire were conducted with the owner, housekeeper and children of the same family. In Pancana and Lalolang, 37.7% and 50% respectively of man inhabitants surveyed were fishermen, while in Lompo Riaja and Pattappa, 38.6% and 65.5% respectively were farmers. The highest proportion of official workers was 33.7% in Lompo Riaja. Educational level was low; 88.4% in Pancana, 90.4% in Lalolang, 62.1% in Lompo Riaja and 91.2% in Pattappa had elementary or below elementary school education. In Lompo Riaja, 30.8% of the inhabitants graduated from senior high school or university. The percentage of families having their own latrine was 30.3% in Pancana, 13.2% in Lalolang, 31.9% in Pattapa and 60% in Lompo Riaja. The people without latrines usually defecated in rice fields, seaside or riverside. A total of 654 fecal samples was examined by the modified Kato-Katz thick smear method. Five nematode species, Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, Necator americanus, Strongyloides stercoralis and unidentified Rhabditoids of free-living nature were detected. Cestode, Hymenolepis nana infection was confirmed. All the hookworms examined by the modified Harada-Mori culture technic were Necator americanus. Trichuris infection was most common, followed by hookworm and Ascaris infections, both in young (aged 4-14) and older (aged over 15) age groups. The prevalence of hookworm infection was significantly higher in males than in females of older age. Among the older age group, the prevalence of Trichuris infection was significantly lower in Lompo Riaja, while hookworm infection was the highest in Pattappa. Among all the inhabitants examined for parasite infection, 17.4% had 3 kinds of nematode, Ascaris, Trichuris and hookworm. However, egg counts revealed that most of the inhabitants with Trichuris or hookworm had light infections. The inhabitants with higher education background had significantly lower infection rates of Ascaris and Trichuris. The prevalence of hookworm infection was not significantly different between the inhabitants owning latrine and without it, but the prevalence of Ascaris and Trichuris, differed significantly.