[The Investigation of Prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis (L.1758) in Primary School Age Children and Its Relation to Various Symptoms].

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis (E. vermicularis) using anal tape technique in four different primary schools in the town of Kayseri.

METHODS

For this purpose, cellophane-tape samples were collected from a total of 438 students. Of all the students, 229 (52.2%) are female and 209 (47.7%) are male. In this study, the relationship between E. vermicularis and the parameters such as school, gender, residential structure, bathroom, water source, parents' monthly income, the number of rooms and members in the house and some symptoms such as anal itching, nasal itching, allergies, irritability, headaches and dizziness, night fears, dental grinding at night, abdominal pain, diarrhea, loss of appetite and weight loss were investigated.

RESULTS

E. vermicularis was determined in 44 of the 438 students (which is 10.4%). There were statistically significant relation between E. vermicularis and parameters such as residential structure, the number of rooms in the house, dental grinding at night, abdominal pain, parents' level of education. There was also statistically significant relation between E. vermicularis and socio-echonomical situation of primary schools.

CONCLUSIONS

We believe that carrying out periodic screening in schools in which especially low-income and parasite-infected children should be treated, informed about prevention and control methods.