Case Report: Soil-transmitted Helminthiasis Among School Children in a Mountainous Community

Abstract

This case report utilized the primary data gathered from the extension program of the LORMA College of Medical Laboratory Science at the institution’s adopted locale. Arosip is a secluded, difficult-to-reach mountainous barangay in the municipality of Bacnotan, in the province of La Union, Philippines. The study subjects were forty-one (41) kindergarten to grade three students of Arosip Elementary School. Modified Kato-Katz technique was performed to the submitted stool samples. Among 41 participants, nine were screened positive for the helminthic ova of Ascaris lumbricoides, and Trichuris trichiura – yielding a total of 21.95% prevalence rate. Among those 9 participants, 6 (66.67%) were positive for Ascaris lumbricoides ova, and 3 (33.33%) were co-infected with both Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura ova. The findings were relayed and reported to the local government unit. The team recommends for a more comprehensive screening and monitoring of STH cases in the locale, a continuous stewardship of health programs including mass-deworming for the school children and awareness campaigns, and provision of health resources. Ultimately, interagency collaboration between the Department of Health, Department Education, and Local Government Unit remains highly warranted to satisfy the health inequities experienced by this disadvantaged remote community.