Prevalence of Intestinal Parasite Infections and Their Associated Factors among Food Handlers Working in Selected Catering Establishments from Bule Hora, Ethiopia

Abstract

Intestinal parasites are responsible for one of the major health problems like food contamination with socioeconomic effects in the world with a prevalence rate of 30-60%, in developing countries that lie within tropical and subtropical areas. They pose a reasonable public health burden, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, including Ethiopia. Globally, due to intestinal parasitic infections, around 3.5 billion people are affected and more than 200,000 deaths are reported annually. Around 50000 deaths yearly are caused by intestinal parasites in Ethiopia. As such, intestinal parasites perceived global and local burdens to various countries. The risk of food contamination depends largely on the health status of the food handlers, their hygiene, knowledge, and practice of food hygiene. Food handlers with poor personal hygiene and sanitation conditions are the major potential sources of intestinal helminthes and protozoa worldwide. The proposed study was aimed at evaluating prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections and their associated factors among food handlers working in selected catering establishments. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Bule Hora Town from March to April 2020. A total of 136 catering establishments were selected using a systematic sampling technique. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 20. The prevalence of intestinal parasites in this study was 46.3%. Entamoeba histolytica was the most predominant parasite (33.3%, i.e., 21/63) while Giardia lamblia was the least (11.1%, i.e., 7/63). Consumption of vended or borehole water and hygienic practices such as hand washing before eating, after using toilet, before cooking and trimming of finger nail and wearing proper working clothes and shoes were statistically significant with intestinal parasitic infection ( P < 0.05 ). Generally, the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection in this study was high and contributed by low socioeconomic status and poor environmental and personal hygiene. Measures including education on personal hygiene, environmental sanitation, drinking water supply, regular medical checkups, and treatment should be taken into account to reduce the prevalence of intestinal parasites.

Prevalence of intestinal parasites and associated factors among food handlers in food establishments in the Lideta subcity of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: an institution-based, cross-sectional study

“…The study found that 41.6% (95% CI 36.6% to 46.4%) of food handlers had one or more intestinal parasites. The prevalence of intestinal parasites reported in this study was comparable with findings of studies conducted among food handlers in Bule Hora (46.3%) 16 and Addis Ababa University (45.3%).…”

“…For instance, a systematic review and meta-analysis reported that the overall pooled prevalence estimate of intestinal parasites among food handlers in food service establishments in Ethiopia was 33.6% (95% CI 27.6% to 39.6%), 13 and the common factors associated with high prevalence of intestinal pathogens among them are poor hand hygiene, inadequate access to water and sanitation facilities, and poor socioeconomic conditions. [13][14][15][16][17][18] However, the prevalence and risk factors may be different across various settings. Accordingly, this study was conducted to assess the prevalence of intestinal parasites and the associated factors among food handlers working in food establishments in the Lideta subcity of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.…”

Prevalence of Intestinal Parasitic Infections and Associated Risk Factors among Pregnant Women Attending Prenatal Care in the Northwestern Ethiopia

“…However, the present finding's prevalence reports are lower than that from other African countries such as 65% in Gabon [ 29 ], 49.6% in Ghana [ 30 ], and 76.2% in Kenya [ 27 ]. Differences in findings among various studies can be explained by variations in geography, socioeconomic conditions, difference in parasitological examination methods, the number of study population, and the level of awareness about the transmission of IPIs [ 31 ].…”

Evaluation of Anthelmintic and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of 1,2,4-Triazole Derivatives

“…Globally, it is estimated that infections caused by intestinal parasites affect 3.5 billion people, 450 million of whom are symptomatic and have health problems as a direct result of the disease. Nematodes are largely responsible for these diseases, including Ascaris lumbricoides , Trichiuris trichiuria , Ancylostoma duodenale and Strongyloides stercoralis [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. Diseases caused by intestinal nematodes can cause, among others, abdominal pain, dehydration, weight loss, anemia, intestinal obstruction, disorders of mental and physical development, malabsorption, inflammation and in severe cases, if left untreated, these can even lead to death [ 6 , 7 , 8 ].…”