PREVALENCE OF INTESTINAL PARASITES IN SCHOOL GOING CHILDREN IN A RURAL COMMUNITY

Infection caused by intestinal parasites is still a common health problem in a poor-hygiene population of rural area especially for children in developing countries. A cross-sectional study was conducted among school going children to determine the current status of intestinal parasitic infections in a rural community of Western Maharashtra. The study was drawn from schools in and around Loni in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. Present study showed the prevalence of 30.4% intestinal parasitic infection in children. The most common parasite was Giardia lamblia (13.5%) followed by Hymenolepis nana (4.5%)