Intestinal Parasitic Infections Among Acute Malnourished Children During Ebola at Ratoma Medical Center of Conakry, Guinea

Abstract

Intestinal parasitic infections are particularly severe in children in whom they can lead to malnutrition and decreased resistance to infections. In Guinea, no study has examined the burden of intestinal parasitic infections among malnourished children, especially in the context of the Ebola outbreak. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of and factors associated with intestinal parasitic infections among acute malnourished children at the Ratoma Communal Medical Center in Conakry in 2015. A 6-month cross-sectional study was conducted from April to October 2015 at the Ratoma Communal Medical Center of Conakry, Guinea. It included all children aged 6-36 months diagnosed with acute malnutrition, whose caregivers consented for the study. A total of 220 children suffering from acute malnutrition were included in the study. The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in the sample was 27%. Different parasitic species were identified in the infected children and included Ascaris lumbricoides (15%, n =33), Enterobius vermicularis (6%, n=13), Entamoeba coli (5%, n=11), and Taenia saginata (1%, n=3). Only children's age was associated with intestinal parasitic infections (AOR=1.37; 95% CI: 1.18-1.58). Household-based awareness-raising on under-five intestinal infections prevention along with deworming campaigns would constitute effective post-Ebola interventions toward the reduction of intestinal parasitic infections and malnutrition burden in under-five children in Guinea.