PREVALENCE OF AMOEBIASIS IN PREGNANT WOMEN IN AFRICA

Amoebiasis is an infection caused by various species of the protozoan Entamoeba, including Entamoeba histolytica, Entamoeba dispar, Entamoeba coli, Entamoeba hartmanni, Entamoeba polecki, and Entamoeba gingivalis. This book aims to investigate the prevalence of amoebiasis among pregnant women in Africa using gold standard microscopy methods. Stool samples were collected from pregnant women attending antenatal care at the General Hospital in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. The research involved 170 pregnant women who visited the antenatal clinic between May and July 2024. Each participant completed a questionnaire to correlate the prevalence and risk factors with their socio-demographic characteristics. Out of the participants, 150 provided stool samples, which were microscopically examined at magnifications of X10 and X40, revealing a prevalence rate of 21.33% for E. histolytica infection. Statistical analysis indicated no significant association (p=0.05) between socio-demographic factors and amoebiasis prevalence. The findings suggest that E. histolytica infections are relatively low in Africa, attributed to good environmental sanitation practices in the continent.