Nematode infections in Slovak children hospitalised during 2008–2009

A study involved 1800 hospitalised children (age: 9 months to 16 years) examined by ovoscopic analyses and confirmed the occurrence of Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura in 46 patients (2.55 %). Of these, 30 patients had Ascaris infection, 13 were positive for both nematodes and 3 patients had Trichuris infection. The mean count of A. lumbricoides eggs in positive cases was 1050 eggs per gramme (EPG) in range 150–4450 EPG. The mean count of T. trichiura eggs was 150 EPG (50–250 EPG). The highest intensities of A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura infections occurred in children 3–5 years of age living in poor hygienic conditions. Most common clinical conditions in all the patients included anaemia combined with complicated bronchopneumonia, colitis and gastritis. The strongest correlation between the parasite burden and selected laboratory test data (eosinophil count, haemoglobin, total serum iron) was found in children of 2 years of age (P < 0.05) and decreased with age.