Authors

H A Alshehri¹; J L LaCourse¹; N K KabatereineR S Stothard¹;  ¹ LSTM;  ² VCD, Uganda

Discussion

Giardiasis is a protozoan infection of the gastrointestinal tract and responsible for several water-borne disease outbreaks globally. In children, it can cause acute or chronic diarrhoea and contribute to nutritional deficiency. School-aged children are more frequently infected than adults, particularly those in developing countries and are malnourished. We sought to investigate the prevalence of giardiasis and schistosomiasis in an under-surveyed region of Uganda, across-sectional study was conducted in Buliisa District, along the shores of Lake Albert, Uganda. A total of 271 school-age children (i.e. 5-12 years) in five rural primary schools were studied. Data were collected using structured questionnaires, anthropometric measurements and laboratory analysis of blood and stool samples. Analysis of the results showed that 87 % and 44.9 % of children were infected with Giardia lamblia and S.mansoni, respectively, while 25 % were anaemic and heavy infection with giardia was negatively associated with being underweight (OR=0.66, 95% CI (0.46-0.93)). This study has revealed a significant burden of giardiasis among school-aged children,Uganda.