Prevalence of Intestinal Parasites Among Primary School Children in Jigawa State, North West Nigeria

Intestinal parasitic infections remain a major public health burden among school-age children in Nigeria, contributing to malnutrition, anaemia, cognitive impairment, and reduced school attendance. This study investigated the prevalence and species distribution of intestinal parasites among primary school children in selected communities in Jigawa State, North West Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 primary school pupils aged 5 to 14 years, purposively selected from three local government areas. Fresh stool samples were collected into clean, labelled containers and examined within two hours by direct wet mount, formal-ether concentration technique, and Kato-Katz thick smear method for helminth eggs and protozoan cysts. An overall prevalence of 58.7% was recorded. Ascaris lumbricoides was the most prevalent helminth at 32.3%, followed by Trichuris trichiura at 21.0%, hookworm at 12.7%, and Entamoeba histolytica at 26.0%. Poly-parasitism was observed in 19.3% of infected children. Children aged 8 to 10 years and boys showed higher infection rates. Open defecation, lack of hand-washing facilities, and barefoot walking were significantly associated with infection. The findings underscore the need for sustained mass drug administration programmes, construction of school sanitation facilities, and comprehensive hygiene education in primary schools across Jigawa State. Keywords: intestinal parasites, school children, Ascaris lumbricoides, helminthiasis, Jigawa State