PREVALENCE OF DIARRHOEAL INFECTIONS BASED ON ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS IN CHILDREN 0-3 YEARSIN ANAMBRA STATE:A SURVEY OF FIVE RURAL COMMUNITIES

This work was conducted to investigate the most prevalent parasitic infection and conditions that are responsible for diarrhoeal infection in the age range 0 - 3 years. The objective was to note how lack of infrastructural and social amenities could affect the prevalence of diarrhoea in both urban and rural communities in its environs namely Abakpa - Nike, Emene, Ugwuaji - Awkunanaw, Amechi and Agbani were undertaken. The work suggested various control measures aimed at the efficacious containment of diarrhoeal infections in the target population of the 0-3 years olds. A random sampling of a population size of 600 was utilized in the study which comprised of 300 males and 300 females. 300 were chosen from Enugu and 300 from all its environs Environmental conditions of the patients dwelling areas were established by household surveys. For bacteria isolates, E.coli ranked highest with 75 cases (12.5%) followed by Salmonellae 7 (1.2%), Shigellae 4 (0.2%). For Protozoa/helminths, Malaria parasites were highest with 333 (55.5%) followed by Ascaris 73 (12.2%), A.duodenale 39 (6.5%), T. trichiura26(4.3%), E. histolytica 15 (2.5%), and G.lambil13 (2.7%).