ABSTRACT:The prevalence of intestinal helminth of residents of Naraguta rural community in Central Nigeria is presented. Out of 700 stool specimens examined between January and July 1999, 261 (37.3%) were positive for helminthic infections. Helminths encountered include Hookworm, Schistosoma mansoni, Trichuris trichiura, Strongyloides stercoralis, Ascaris lumbricoides, and Hymenolepis nana. Hookworm was the most predominant, followed by S. stercoralis, S. mansoni and A. lumbricoides with T. trichiura as the least. Intestinal helminthiasis was equally prevalent for males and females. However, infection rates were high among persons below ten years of age, in toddlers, housewives and farmers than others. Persons defecating in the bush harbored more worms (56.7%) than pit latrine users (43.3%). Free medical diagnosis in most rural communities in Nigeria are probably justifiable and should be promoted and/or sustained by government. For protective purposes, conscientious personal cleanliness, proper sanitation and controlled good water supplies would be more useful. @JASEM

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The microbiological quality of refinery effluent, and water and sediments of the effluent receiving Okrika sector of bonny estuary was investigated. Treated waste water (TWW) recorded the highest total heterotrophic bacteria (THB) of 1.6 X 109 cfu/ml, while raw waste water had the highest bacterial diversity of 24.82%. The THB population of the water body was lowest [8.6X103cfu/ml] at the effluent outfall site (SS1) in January compared to the highest [1.10X108cfu/ml] recorded at the control station (SS6). The sediment samples were richer in microbial population density with highest value of 8.6X109cfu/g and least value of 7.8X104cfu/g recorded at SS6 and SS1 respectively. While fungi population showed significant upstream -downstream variation in sediment, the population of fungi in the water samples was relatively stable (3 logs) throughout the study period. The most predominant bacterial genera in the refinery effluent include Bacillus sp (23.37%), Pseudomonas sp (12.41%), and Staphylococcus sp. (10.59%). Similarly, Bacillus sp (15.73% & 16.77%) and Pseudomonas sp (13.72% & 11.44%) were the most prevalent in the river water and sediment respectively. Penicillum sp, Fusarium sp dominated the fungi population. The effluent outfall site (SS1) recorded the least generic diversity of 13.16% and 13.92% both for water and sediment samples respectively. Pollution of the Bonny estuary by refinery effluent resulted in changes in the microbial population density and disappearance of organisms like Chromobacter species, Vibro species, E. coli and Serratia species from the affected sites.