Incidence of Gastrointestinal Parasites among Patients Attending the Buea Regional Hospital Annex Cameroon

Abstract: Intestinal parasitic infections remain a major public health problem in many
parts of Cameroon, particularly in rural areas where Buea is one of the most fast
growing cosmopolitan city where 90% of the population have no access to basic forms
of sanitation. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of gastrointestinal parasitic
infections among the people living in Kumba, Southwest Region. The study was a
cross sectional study carried from the 18 of January to the 18 of march, a total number
of 100 fecal samples were randomly collected in different areas in kumba such as
Fiango, Mbonge road, Kumba town and Kossala by giving stool samples collecting
containers, tissues and questionaires with proper collecting procedure explained to
them. And the stool samples collected were carried to a private laboratory for
laboratory analysis and the stool were examined macroscopically to check for adult
worms, consistency, color and abnormal features such as blood, mucus and fat
globules and microscopically by the direct wet mount examination using normal
saline and lugol’s iodine. The stool sample was latter preserved with 10%
formolsaline and was transported to Bamenda for further laboratory analytical
procedure which is the formol-ether concentration technique and the modified ziehl
Nelson staining technique. Base on the work done the results showed an overall
incidence of intestinal parasites among the inhabitants of Kumba to be (11%). And
based on the 11%, helminth infections (85.8%) were more common than protozoan
infections (14.2%) with the most prevalent intestinal parasites being hookworms and
Ascaris lumbricoides (3%) and the lowest was Gastrodicoides hominis and
Diphyllobotrium latum (1%). And also based on sex the results showed a higher
infective incidence in men (17.4%) and female being (9.1%) with Kosala having the
highest incidence (18.8) and Kumba town being the lowest (0%). A greater focus on
intervention is required by improving sanitation and personal hygiene to prevent the
spread of intestinal parasitic infection.