Prevalence of Polyparasitic Infection Among Primary School Children in the Volta Region of Ghana

Background. Polyparasitic infection is a possibility in areas where parasites are endemic, especially among children. This study looked at the prevalence of polyparasitic infections among children in the Volta Region of Ghana. Methods. This was a cross-sectional study, among 550 primary school children (aged 6-14 years) in 3 districts in the Volta Region. Questionnaires were administered, and blood, stool, and urine samples were collected. Blood samples were screened for Plasmodium falciparum with rapid diagnostic test and microscopy, together with hemoglobin estimation. Stool and urine samples were microscopically examined using wet mount and sedimentation methods to detect intestinal parasites and Schistosoma haematobium, respectively. Pearson chi(2) test was used to evaluate the association between parasitic infections and socioeconomic variables, and multivariate logistic regression to evaluate paired associations among parasites. Results. The most prominent infection among the children was P. falciparum (present in 383 children [69.6%]), followed by S. haematobium (57 [10.36%]). There was low prevalence of intestinal protozoa (present in 11 children [2%]), Ascaris lumbricoides (7 [1.27%]), and hookworm (5 [0.91%]). A total of 62 children had polyparasitic infection, with P. falciparum and S. haematobium having significant paired association (both present in 46 children [74.19%]; adjusted odds ratio, 2.45; P=.007). Conclusion. The prevalence of polyparasitic infection was low in this study, and significant coinfection was seen with P. falciparum and S. haematobium.