High Prevalence of Human Gastrointestinal Parasitic Infections in an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Camp in Nasarawa State, Nigeria: A Cross-sectional Study

Human gastrointestinal parasites are significant agents of intestinal infections with public health implication worldwide. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) are known for their vulnerability to myriad of parasitic agents due to their socioeconomic conditions especially in Nigeria. However, paucity of published information about gastrointestinal parasitic infection exists among refugees in Nigeria. In a cross-sectional study, the prevalence and probable factors of human gastrointestinal parasitic infections in a IDPs camp in Nasarawa State, Nigeria was evaluated. Faecal samples were collected from 332 recruited refugees who gave informed consent and completed self-administered questionnaires. The samples were examined using standard parasitological techniques. Overall, 264 (79.5%) were infected with human gastrointestinal parasites. The parasite species identified and their respective prevalence were Entamoeba histolytica (23.5%), Schistosoma mansoni (22.0%), Ascaris lumbricoides (19.7%), Enterobius vermicularis (14.4%), Hookworm (6.1%), Hymenolepis nana (6.1%), Giardia lamblia (1.1%) and Taenia species (1.1%). All the risk factors studied were not statistically significant to the parasitic infections (p> 0.05). To our knowledge, this is the first study to find cases of dual and multiple parasitic infections among IDPs in Central Nigeria. Our findings have enhanced the epidemiologic understanding of gastrointestinal parasitic infections among IDPs in Nigeria with implications for continual surveillance and advanced control measures.