TABLE CONTENTS

Occurrence of Soil-transmitted Helminths in Developing Country Women
Joshi, S.D. (1), P.R. Chaudhary (2) & K. Panday (3)
(1) Public Health Office, Kailali,Nepal; (3) Nepal Medical College and Teaching Hospital,
Kathmandu, NEPAL; (2) All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Objective: To find the occurrence pattern and prevalence of the soil transmitted helminths in
women of child-bearing age group in developing country Nepal.
Methods and Materials: The study was conducted in 7 districts at an altitude of 2100 metres
above sea level. Faecal samples of 2478 women of child-bearing age (15 to 45 years) were
taken randomly and examined for the ova of soil transmitted helianthus during year 2007.
The data were analysed and edited by EPI info program.
Results: The occurrence pattern was 53.0%, 20.0% and 2.7% for Hookworms, Ascaries
lumbricoids and Trichuris Trichuria respectively. Both Ascaries and Hookworm prevalence
rates noticeably increased with increasing age, with the highest infection rate between the
ages of 36 - 45 years while trichuris infection was highest in women of 15-25 years of age.
Conclusion: Due to the lack of medicine and healthcare facilities in remote areas, there is a
high prevalence of hookworm and Ascaries in women of child-bearing age and intervention
is needed according to WHO guidelines. The government should make special policies and
programs for health care access in these areas.
Role of Soil Nematodes as a Bioindicator of Soil Health and the Influence of
Human Interventions on their Composition
Massawe, C. (1), P. Jowah (1), Z. Sibanda, (2) & D. Hunt (3)
(1) University of Zimbabwe, Department of Crop Science, P O Box MP 167 Harare, Zimbabwe; (2) Goldengro
(pvt) Limited, P O Box MP 1306, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe; (3) CABI Europe – UK, Bakeham Lane,
Egham, Surrey, TW20 9TY, UK.
A survey to characterize nematode communities in different land management systems in
Zimbabwe and to explore the potential of using nematode communities indices as
bioindicators to infer soil process and quality was carried out during 2007 in Zimbabwe. Soil
samples were collected at random at two depths, i.e. 5 – 15cm and 15 – 30cm from land
under continuous maize cropping and at the Botanical Reserve Gardens (uncropped). The
results from continuous maize fields showed reduction in diversity of plant parasitic
nematodes. Plant parasitic nematodes were in higher proportion over free-living nematodes.
Pratylenchus spp., Scutellonema spp. and Helicotylenchus spp. were the dominant plantfeeding
species. At the Botanical Reserve Gardens populations of free living nematodes
mainly fungivorous Dorylaimids were abundant followed by predatory Mononchids and
Dorylaimids. Maturity index, an indicator of the ecological successional status of soil
community based on colonizers-persisters (c-p) scale were employed and results showed high
index in the Botanical Reserve Gardens due to presence of many nematodes with high c-p
values i.e Mononchids and Dorylaimids. Their assemblage can be related to reduced soil
disturbance in the ecosystem. Most nematodes with high c-p value are most susceptible to
soil disturbances and their abundance in particular habitat, that habitat is considered more
stable and suitable for agricultural production. This study found that soil dwelling nematodes
may be able to give insight on the effect of particular disturbances on the soil ecology.
5 th International Congress of Nematology, 2008 262