Strongyloidiasis in children five years and below.

INTRODUCTION: Strongyloidiasis is one of the major human intestinal infections caused by a minute nematode, Strongyloides stercoralis. It is a soil-transmitted nematode of worldwide distribution, which resides in the small intestines of humans and is acquired by tissue penetration by the infective stage, filariform larva, of the worm. In the immunocompetent hosts, Strongyloides stercoralis infects only the mucosal of the small intestines and persists as an asymptomatic often chronic infection. In contrast, in the presence of immune suppression it has ability to multiply within the human host, known as hyperinfection. Its occurrence has been reported more commonly among adults.

AIM/OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to find the occurrence of Strongyloides stercoralis among children 0-5years who presented with diarrhea and then relate it to their nutritional status.

MATERIALS AND METHOD: Following ethical approval, two hundred and twenty seven children, 118 boys and 109 girls, with complaints of diarrhoea, were randomly selected. A structured questionnaire was completed for each child. Anthropometric measurement was taken. Clinical assessment/diagnosis by the attending physician was also recorded. Stool specimen was collected and examined by wet preparation and formol-ether concentration methods. Infected children were treated.

RESULTS: Twelve (5.3 %) of all the children with diarrhoea were found to have Strongyloides stercoralis. All the infected children were malnourished while none of the normal nourished children had Strongyloides stercoralis (p=0.001).

CONCLUSION: Strongyloidiasis is a possible complication of Malnutrition in children who presented with diarrhoea.