Prevalence of Soil-Transmitted Helminths among School Pupils in the Upper East Region of Ghana Using Direct Wet Mount Technique and Formol-Ether Concentration Technique

The prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths has been reported to be high among residents especially school pupils in small communities located in Ghana and Sub-Saharan Africa as a whole. Gia is one of the communities in the Kassena-Nankana district of the Upper East Region of Ghana where the prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths was reported in 2007 to be 10% by the direct wet mount method. The study sought to determine the current prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths among primary school pupils in Gia and Kajelo communities in the Kassena-Nankana district using direct wet mount and the formol-ether concentration techniques and also to compare the performance of the two techniques employed in the study.

Methods: Three hundred and ninety-four (394) pupils were recruited from the primary schools in the Gia and Kajelo communities for the study. The study was carried out from October 2010 to March 2011. Stool samples were collected from subjects and processed within two hours after collection using the direct wet mount and the formol-ether concentration techniques.

Results: Out of the 394 stool samples examined in the study, 2.79% (Hookworm 0.25 %, Strongyloides stercoralis 2.54%, Ascaris lumbricoides 0.00% and Trichuris trichuira 0.00%) prevalence was observed with the direct wet mount method whilst 9.40% (Strongyloides stercoralis 5.08%, Hookworm 3.30%, Ascaris lumbricoides 1.02% and Trichuris trichuira 0.00%) prevalence was observed with the formol-ether concentration technique. The formol-ether concentration technique demonstrated a higher sensitivity as compared to the direct wet mount technique.

Conclusion: There is high soil-transmitted helminthic infection among primary school pupils in Gia and Kajelo communities in the Kassena-Nankana district of the Upper East Region of Ghana. However, it has been underdiagnosed due to the use of the direct wet mount technique in clinical laboratories in these communities.