Prevalence and Type of Anaemia Due to Hookworm Infection Among the Populations of Wolisso
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Date
1995-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
A community based case-control study to investigate the
relationship between hookworm infection and anaemia was
carried out on 227 apparently healthy individuals living
around Wolisso area. Of these subjects 155 were cases
(individuals infected with hookworm) and 72 were controls
(uninfected). It was found that 20.6% of the cases and 5.6%
of the controls were anaemic. Chi-squared analysis showed
hookworm infection was significantly associated with low
haemoglobin (odds ratio = 4.42, P<O.05),10w transferrin
saturation (odds ratio = 17.18, P<O.OOl) and low ferritin
levels (odds ratio = 14.98, P<O.Ol). Intensity of infection
as expressed in eggs per gram (epg) of faeces showed a highly
significant negative relationship with transferrin saturation
and serum ferritin levels (P<O.OOl) but not with haemoglobin
levels (P>0.05). When multiple criteria involving elevated
mean corpuscular volume (~fCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin
(MCH) and macrocytic blood picture were taken as suggestive
of a macrocytic type of anaemia, 13.0% of the cases and 5.6
% of the controls fell into this category. Chi-squared
analysis however, showed no statistically significant
association between parameters suggestive of macrocytic
anaemia and hookworm infection (odds ratio = 2.54, P>0.05).
Further investigation is recommended to clearly indicate the
role of hookworms in the genesis of megaloblastic anaemja by
employing better biochemical assays.
The intensity of infection was light and the anaemia was
generally of mild type.
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Biology