Undergraduate Research Paper
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14583/28
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Item Ascariasis and protein energy malnutrition among schoolchildren of Monteclaro Elementary School, Miag-ao, IloiloBerlin, Nellisa Marie; Chua, Enrique III; Daquilenea, Miko; Dorde, Cristy Joy; Hosillos, Juls; Libo-on, Dyann Dolour; Panizales, Katherine Royce; Robleza, Xela Patricia; Sanchez, Maria Lourdes; Sumayo, Marilyn (Division of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Visayas, 2008-04)Ascaris infections lead to malnutrition and poor cognitive development especially to children aged 5-15 years of age. In the Philippines, protein-energy malnutrition is one of the ten leading causes of child mortality. From January to February 2008, a cross- sectional descriptive study was carried out in Monteclaro Elementary School to describe the prevalence of ascariasis and the prevalence of protein energy malnutrition and relate it to the demographic factors such as age group, educational attainment of the mother, annual family income, availability of toilet, and proper hand washing practice. Sixty eight pupils of the said school were included in the study with ages ranging from 6-13 years. Fecal sample of the participants were collected, processed using the Kato-Katz smear technique, and microscopically examined to determine the prevalence of infections. The weight was measured for weight for age index. A self administered questionnaire was given to know about socio-economic factors. Handwashing activities were utilized as a basis for personal hygiene. The result of the study shows that 12% of the study population has a mild A. lumbricoides infection. Weight for age measurement shows that 21% of the pupils are underweight. Pupils of the age group 12-14 were of the highest frequency of ascaris infection and pupils of the age group of 6-8 were of the lowest frequency. Twelve percent of pupils who have toilets in their household are positive for ascaris infection. All pupils failed in the handwashing activity. Twenty seven percent of the pupils whose mothers have no formal education were underweight. This is due to the level of education that the mother has achieved. Mothers who have undergone tertiary education know more about the proper ways to nourish their children thereby minimizing children who are underweight. Twenty-three percent of the pupils included in the study were below normal in the weight for age index. Trend shows that those families with lower income have a higher frequency of respondents that are underweight. For pupils with below normal weight for age 50% are without toilet while 19% with toilet. There is low prevalence of ascariasis in Monteclaro Elementary School. The results of this study do not truly show the relationship of ascariasis with protein energy malnutrition. Inconsistencies of the results with the findings of other studies are possibly due to low number of positive ascaris-infected participants and the low number of overall participants. Increase in the sample size and ascariasis positive participants within the sample are recommended to get more accurate results.Item Survey of pathogenic bacteria in bottom sediments of Iloilo River: An assessment of water sanitary qualityAraneta, Karla Teresa S.; Bugayong, Adrienne Marrie S.; Cabanilla, Jennifer C.; Caro, Mary Ann Gina C.; Gayatgay, Christian Era U.; Nufuar, Ernest Jan T.; Rufino Krystal Hope S. (Division of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Visayas, 2009-03)This study assessed the water sanitary quality of the Iloilo River by determining the monthly heterotophic plate count (HPC), total coliform (TC), fecal coliform (FC), and fecal streptococcus (FS) counts of the bottom sediments in five sampling sites from October 2008 to February 2009. These parameters were then correlated with the physico-chemical parameters that were additionally obtained from the river water. The presence of Salmonella spp, E. coli. Vibrio spp, and fecal Streptococcus were also determined as indicators of the pathogenic bacteria in the bottom sediments of the Iloilo River. Using the FC:FS ratio, the study further distinguished fecal contamination sources from each site as human, animal, or mixed in origin. An assessment of sediment quality was done using DENR standards for TC and Kohl and Albinger's sediment quality criteria for HPC and FC. Sediment samples were taken from the following sampling sites along the Iloilo River: 1) Forbes. 2) Dungon, 3) IBRD, 4) Carpenter's, and 5) So-oc. No significant difference in any of the physico-chemical or microbiological parameters were found among sampling stations. However, analysis and comparison of the microbiological parameters of bottom sediments in terms of months showed significant temporal variability HPC, TC, and FC alternately decrease and increase every month while FS showed a generally increasing trend. The following correlations between the microbiological and physico-chemical parameters were found. 1) temperature with HPC and FS , 2) salinity with FS count, and 3) dissolved oxygen concentration with TC and FC Counts. The mean percentage of bottom sediment samples with Salmonella ranged from 3% to 10% while more than half of samples from all sampling sites showed the presence of Vibrio spp. and S. faecalis. Samples with E.coli from all sites ranged from 3 to 14%. Fecal contamination sources varied across sampling sites. So-oc show ed mostly animal sources as its orgin of fecal contamination, while other sites had either animal, human or mixed sources. S. faecalis and E. coli exhibited multiple antibiotic resistance, a grow ing health concent in many of today's rivers. All isolates were susceptible to Gentamicin and Ciprofloxacin but resistant to Penicillin. Based on HPC and FC values the degree of loading with easily decomposable organic substance and feces among the sampling sites ranges from very little to little. TC count of the sediment samples from all the sites does not exceed the limit of 5000 CFU/ 100ml set by the DENR. Results suggest that sediments were not a significant reservoir of bacterial pollution at the time this study was conducted.
