Soil Parasites Contamination of Jetties in Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

The present study evaluated the Soil Parasites Contamination of Onne jetty, Abuloma jetty, Andoni jetty and Bonny jetty in Rivers State, Nigeria. A total of 200 soil samples from jetties within 0-2cm deep were collected in clean polythene using trowel. Soil samples were analysed using magnesium sulphate floatation and modified Baermann technique for the presence of soil parasites (protozoans and helminths). Out of the two hundred (200) sampled soil from the four jetties, one hundred and fifty-six 156 (78.0%) soil were contaminated with parasites. Bonny jetty had the highest soil contamination 46 (92%) followed by Abuloma 42 (84.0%), Onne 38 (76.0%), Andoni had the least soil contamination 30 (60.0%). However, there was no significant difference in the four jetties (P>0.05). Abuloma jetty had the highest parasites contamination 426 (39.48%), followed by Bonny jetty 296 (27.43%), Andoni jetty 194 (17.98%) and Onne jetty with the least parasite contamination 163 (15.11%). Thirteen soil parasites were recovered: Ascaris lumbricoides had the highest prevalence of 300 (27.8%), followed by Hookworm 164 (15.2%), Balantidium coli 152 (14.09%), Entamoeba histolytica 140 (12.97%), Entamoeba coli 100 (9.27%), Schistosoma mansoni 66(6.12%), Fasciola spp 56 (5.19%), Schistosoma japonicum 42 (3.89%), Strongyloides stercoralis 22 (2.04%), Isospora spp. 21 (1.95%), Toxocara spp 8 (0.74%), Trichuris trichiura 6 (0.56%) and Taenia spp 2 (0.19) with the least prevalence. There was no significant difference among the soil parasites recovered in the four jetties. The findings also showed that Ascaris lumbricoides had the highest average abundance and means intensity of 1.5 (75±42.77epg), followed by Hookworm with average abundance and intensity of 0.82 (41±24.69epg)), Taenia spp 0.01 (0.5±0.5) with the least abundance and intensity.