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- Title
Blastocystosis amongst the Orang Asli (Aborigine) Schoolchildren at Pos Senderut, Kuala Lipis, Malaysia.
- Authors
A. G., Mohamed Kamel; Najah, Faten
- Abstract
Introduction: Blastocystis hominis is one of the most commonly detected protozoan parasites in the human intestine. Its infection leads to gastrointestinal symptoms which include acute or chronic diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea & vomiting. Blastocystosis is highly prevalent in tropical developing countries and in Malaysia, it is also common especially amongst the Orang Asli community. Objective: This cross sectional study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Blastocystis hominis infection amongst the Orang Asli schoolchildren at Pos Senderut, in the district of Kuala Lipis, Pahang, Malaysia. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and eight aboriginal schoolchildren from SK Senderut, Kuala Lipis participated in this study. The children were divided according to gender and age groups. Faecal samples were collected and examined for the presence of Blastocystis hominis using two diagnostic techniques, namely direct faecal smear and formalin-ether concentration techniques. Result: The overall prevalence of Blastocystis hominis infection among Orang Asli children was 32.7%. The infection was higher in females (33.9%) compared to males (31.3%) even though it was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Those in upper primary school had a slightly higher infection rate (34.8%) though not significant, compared to those in lower primary school (30.1%). The formalin-ether concentration technique showed better detection of Blastocystis hominis compared to the direct fecal smear method. Conclusion: The high prevalence of blastocystosis indicates that it is still a significant health issue in Malaysia especially among the children of the aboriginal community. This study recommends increasing the health awareness of the Orang Asli community by organizing health talks especially on the aspect of personal hygiene and sanitation.
- Subjects
MALAYSIA; INDIGENOUS children; ORANG Asal (Malaysian people); CLINICAL pathology; CROSS-sectional method; CLASSIFICATION; PATIENTS; COMMUNITIES; FECES; SEX distribution; AMEBIASIS; STUDENTS; SCHOOLS; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; ELEMENTARY schools; CHILDREN
- Publication
International Medical Journal, 2021, Vol 28, Issue 2, p217
- ISSN
1341-2051
- Publication type
Article