Abstract

Background: Intestinal parasitic infection affects 3.5 billion people in the world and mostly affecting the low socio-economic groups. Predominantly intestinal parasitic infection transmitted through feco-oral route. The objective of this research work was to estimate the prevalence and determinants of intestinal parasitic infection among family members of known intestinal parasitic infected patients.

Methods and materials: A comparative cross sectional study design was implemented in the urban and rural settings of mecha district. The data were collected from August 2017- March 2019 from intestinal parasitic infected patient household members .Epi-info software was used to calculate the sample size, 4531 household members was estimated to be included. Data were collected using interview technique and colleting stool samples from each household contact of intestinal parasite patients. Descriptive statistics were used to estimate the prevalence of intestinal parasites among known contacts of intestinal parasites patients/family members.  Binary logistic regression was used to identify the determinant factors of intestinal parasitic infection among family members.

Results: The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection among family members was 86.14 % [95% CI: 86.14 % - 87.15 %]. Hookworm parasitic infection (18.8%) was the predominant type of infection. Intestinal parasitic infection among sex, environmental sanitation, source of water, habit of playing with domestic animals, the presence of chicken in the house, the presence of household water filtering materials, overcrowding, personal hygiene, residence, and substandard house, role in the household, source of light for the house, floor materials, trimmed finger nails , family size, regular hand washing practice, bare foot.

Conclusion: Clinicians must trace and care for all household contacts of intestinal parasite patients in order to make the interventions effective.