Gastrointestinal Parasitosis in the Population of the City of N’Djamena [Chad]: Causes of Their Persistence

Abstract

In tropical areas gastrointestinal parasitosis are constantly changing in frequency and the large number of asymptomatic carriers continue to be a public health problem. This study was carried out during the last trimester of 2019 in the city of N’Djamena (Chad). This work was designed to take a stock of the overall level of carriage of parasitic infections of the population of the city. Our study sample was made up of 366 individuals whose age varied from 1 to 77 years. Each subject included in this study benefited from parasitological stool analysis using three methods. The method of direct observation in physiological water, the method of concentration in formalin-ether and that of Kato Katz. The results obtained showed that 222 subjects were carriers of at least one species of parasite, or either a global infection rate of 60.66%. Ten species of gastrointestinal parasites were identified of which three species of protozoa: Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (34.70 %), Giardia intestinalis (3.55%), Entamoeba coli (0.55%) and seven species of helminths: Hymenolepis nana (18.85%), Ascaris lumbricoides (9.29%), Taenia saginata (8.20%), Hymenolepis diminuta (2.19%), Schiotosoma mansoni (0.27%), Heterophyes hetrophyses (0.55%) and Enterobius vermicularis (0.27%). In N’Djamena the parasitism of those investigated was mainly (45.63%) monospecific and poly-specific (bi-and tri-specific) in 15.03% of the causes while 39.34% of persons examined were free from all forms of protozoa and helminths. The epidemiology of pathogenic forms was linked to a lack of hygiene especially ignorance of the risk of faecal peril. It is therefore important to strengthen the health education of the population in this city in particular and throughout the country in general.