COMPARATIVE STUDY OF MICROSCOPY WITH ELISA ANTIBODY BASED AMOEBIASIS DIAGNOSIS IN PATIENTS PRESENTING WITH DYSENTERY AT GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS IN KADUNA METROPOLIS

This study investigated the prevalence and risk factors of Entamoeba histolytica infection among dysentery patients presenting at government hospitals in Kaduna metropolis. Three hundred and seventy eight (378) samples were collected, comprising 189 stool and 189 serum specimens. The stool and serum specimens were analysed using Microscopy and Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) respectively. Of the 189 patients sampled, 27 (14.3%) were positive for Entamoeba histolytica, 13 (6.9%) Entamoeba coli and 4 (2.1%) Giardia lamblia. The prevalence of E. histolytica infection (14.3%) was higher than the 10% recorded by WHO (1995) in the developing world. Individuals in the age group 1-10 years had the highest prevalence (29.40%) and it decreased with age except for age group 41 years and above. Males were more infected (14.6%) than females (14.0%) but the difference was not statistically significant (p> 0.05). The infection rate was higher in the rainy season (15.5%) than the dry season (12.9%). The study also revealed that E. histolytica infection was not statistically associated with educational status and type of toilet facility (p>0.05), but it was however, statistically associated with the occupational status and source of drinking water of the patients (p< 0.05)