PREVALENCE, CO-PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS OF PULMONARY PARAGONIMIASIS AND PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS IN NIGERIAN CHILDREN IN THE NIGER DELTA AREA.

BACKGROUND

Nigeria has the highest burden of paragonimiasis in Africa and it is also among the high burden countries with tuberculosis. The true prevalence of these reemerging diseases is unknown in the country.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence and co-prevalence of thesere-emerging diseases among children in a rural Nigerian community.

DESIGN

Descriptive cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Ewang, a rural fishing community in Mbo Local government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

SUBJECTS: Primary and secondary school children aged 5-18years living in Ewang village, Mbo Local government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

RESULTS

A total of 204 children were examined: 91(44.6%) were males, while 113(55.4%) were females. Ten of the subjects were sputum positive for paragonimus eggs, giving an overall prevalence rate of 4.9%,while six children were sputum positive for pulmonary tuberculosis with a prevalence rate of 2.9%. There was no case of co-infection. The peak age prevalence of paragonimus ova-positive and Acid and Alcohol fast positive subjects was recorded in the five to nine year old age group with prevalence rate of 5.6% and7.4% respectively. There was a female preponderance among the paragonimus ova-positive subjects (90%) and the AAFB positive subjects (66.7%).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings show that paragonimiasis is an emerging/re-emerging disease in southern Nigeria and further confirmed that the prevalence of tuberculosis is still on an upward rise.