Prevalence of Enterobiasis Among the Kindergarten Children of Sabzevar, Northeast of Iran

Abstract

Background: Enterobiasis is a common parasitic disease at all age groups, especially children. It results in perianal itching, insomnia, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and rarely appendicitis and fallopian tube inflammation in the affected patients. The prevalence of enterobiasis varies in different parts of Iran. However, the status of the enterobiasis prevalence among Sabzevar children remains unknown. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of enterobiasis among the kindergarten children of Sabzevar, Razavi Khorasan province, the northeast of Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional analytical-descriptive study, sampling was carried out on children aged below 7 years using the Scotch-tape technique in the kindergartens of Sabzevar in 2019. The samples were then examined by a light microscope. Finally, the data were recorded in a questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS software and Fisher exact test. Results: Based on the results, 6 (3.49%) out of 172 collected samples were found to be infected with enterobiasis. There was no significant association between gender and infection. Eventually, no significant relationship was found between the geographical living area and enterobiasis. Conclusions: These findings indicated that the overall prevalence of enterobiasis among Sabzevar kindergarten children was lower than that of many parts of Iran. However, educational programs for parents and kindergarten staff regarding enterobiasis infection and the transmission routes should be conducted to reduce the infection rate.