Intestinal Parasitic Infection and Candidiasis among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinic in Ilie, Southwest, Nigeria

¹ Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Health Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, P.M.B. 4400, Osogbo Nigeria.

² Department of Community Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, P.M.B. 4400, Osogbo, Nigeria.

^*Corresponding Author

Mr. Adefioye Olusegun Adelowo

Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology,

Ladoke Akintola University of Technology,

Osogbo, Osun State,

Nigeria.

Email: oaadefioye@lautech.edu.ng

Abstract

Intestinal parasitic infection is one of the major health issues and poses major public health problem in developing countries particularly in Sub -Saharan countries including Nigeria in particular. A cross sectional study of intestinal parasites and Candida albicans infections was undertaken among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in Ilie in order to determine the prevalence and intensity of the infections. The intensity of infection was classified into light, moderate or high according to World Health Organisation (WHO) thresholds. A total of 172 pregnant women aged between 15 to 54 years were recruited for this study. Fresh stool and high vaginal swabs samples were collected and processed according to parasitological and mycological procedures. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasites in this study was (32.6%) with four difference species of intestinal parasites namely, Entamoeba histolytica (15.7 %), Hookworm (8.7 %) Ascaris lumbricoides (6.4%) and Trichuris trichiura (1.7%). In all, Candida albicans had the highest prevalence of 22.7%. C. albicans/E. histolytica co-infection was the highest prevalence (9.3%) while the least co-infection was C. albicans/A. lumbricoides (4.1%). Age group 15-24 years had the highest prevalence (58.1%) and the least was age group 35-44 years (21.1%). There was no statistical significance between the age group and the infection (P = 0.274). Most of the pregnant women had intestinal parasites in secondgravidae (46.4%) and in 1st trimester of gestation period (46.4%) (P = 0.371), while Candida albicans was in secondgravidae (48.7%) and in 3rd trimester of gestation period (46.2%) (P = 0.629). Out of the 39 (22.7%) pregnant women who were positive for Candida albicans, 32 (82.1%) were co-infected with any intestinal parasites and the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.152). Therefore all pregnant women should undergo a routine examination for intestinal parasites and Candida albicans during antenatal visit. Health education should be introduced in order to highlight the principles of basic personal hygiene.

Keywords: Prevalence, Intensity, Intestinal parasitic infection, Candida albicans, Pregnant women

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