Enteroparasitism in Hard-to-Reach Community Dwellers: A Cross-Sectional Study in Ga West Municipality in Ghana

Ga West Municipality in Ghana is predominantly rural with about forty-eight hard-to-reach communities. Several infectious diseases such as Buruli ulcer, tuberculosis, yaws, schistosomiasis, and malaria are prevalent in the municipality. However, the prevalence and characteristics of enteroparasites in the municipality are unknown. Therefore, this cross-sectional study determined the prevalence of enteroparasites in these hard-to-reach communities. Samples were collected from five communities, namely, Opah, Otuaplem, Dedeman, Onyansana, and Manchie. A total of 538 stool samples were collected from the community dwellers. Each sample was examined with eosin-saline wet preparation and formol-ether concentration technique. Body mass index, haemoglobin, and albumin concentrations were used to assess nutritional status. Seven different parasite species were identified in 178 community dwellers (33.1% prevalence (95% CI: 0.29-0.37)). The individual prevalence of the identified parasites wasSchistosoma mansoni(13.4%),Entamoeba histolytica(7.2%),Ascaris lumbricoides(6.9%),Giardia lamblia(5.0%), hookworm (4.8%),Strongyloides stercoralis(4.8%), andBalantidium coli(1.6%). Among the 178 parasitized individuals, 68.0% were singly infected while 31.5% had dual parasitism. Significantly higher infections were associated with Onyansana dwellers (p=0.019), participants aged 16-20 years (p=0.006), unmarried participants (p<0.001), those without formal education (p=0.044), and crop farmers (p=0.044). However, among the Akan tribe (p=0.015), Christians (p=0.03), and participants with higher incomes (p=0.012), infections were found to be lower. Compared to monoparasitism, dual parasitism was significantly associated with underweight (17.8 vs. 20.3 kg/m(2)), anaemia (7.7 vs. 9.8 g/dL), and malnutrition (27.6 vs. 31.9 g/L of albumin concentration). These findings underscore the fact that the Ga West Municipality is heavily burdened with different species of enteroparasites. Therefore, education on personal hygiene to reduce parasitic infections must be intensified while implementing regular mass deworming exercise in the municipality.