This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection in primary school children in eight primary schools in Sirt city, Libya. One thousand, five hundred and forty eight feacal samples (905 males and 643 females) were examined using direct smear method and formol-ether concentration technique to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites. Out of the number examined, 583 (37.7 %), comprising 353 (39%) males and 230 (35.8%) females were infected. Seven intestinal protozoan parasites were found. No helminth intestinal parasites were detected. The most common protozoan parasite was B. hominis with the highest prevalence at 17.9 %, followed by E. histolytica / E. dispar (14.8%), G. lamblia (9.9%), I. belli (4.8 %), I. butschlii (0.97%), E. coli (2.9 %) and E. nana (2.2 %). Sex-wise prevalence showed 19.1% and 16.2 % in males and females respectively. Overall prevalence of E. histolytica / E.dispar was 9.2 % and 5.6 % in females, while sex-wise showed 15.7 % and 13.5 % in males and females respectively . G. lamblia was detected in 6.3 % of males and 3.6 % of females , sex-wise was 10.8 % for males and 8.7 % for females. Significant relationship was exist between overall prevalence and sexes for B. hominis, E. histolytica / E. dispar , and G. lamblia (P = 0.000). Age had no effect on the prevalence of intestinal parasite (P = 0.236). Single infection was detected in 69.81 % and 30.19 % mixed infection of positive cases.
There was a significant difference between single and mixed infection (P= 0.000).The parasitic infection appeared to vary with the educational status of children parents. Also, associated with family size of children. The children who have body weight (15 – 25 kg) showed high prevalence (17.6 %), followed by body weight (26 - 35 kg) (13.8 %). However, low prevalence (1.5 %) at body weight> 46 kg. The results revealed that the prevalence decrease with family salary income increase.