Seasonal prevalences of Cryptosporidium and Giardia infections in children attending day care centres in Salamanca (Spain) studied for a period of 15 months.
Five studies were carried out in children younger than 4 years old attending regularly day care centres in order to determine the intestinal parasitization by Cryptosporidium and Giardia. The percent of children parasitized by Cryptosporidium was 10% (17 children out of 170 studied). Cryptosporidiosis was more frequent in winter than in other seasons (difference statistically significant). Giardia intestinalis, which was the most frequent parasite, was identified in 25.3% (43 children out of 170 studied). Giardiasis was more frequent in autumn and in the low SEL (difference statistically significant in both cases). The frequency of giardiasis increased from 8% in children studied during 1-2 seasons, to 34% in children studied for 3-5 seasons (difference statistically significant), whereas the frequency of cryptosporidiosis did not show variation with increased number of specimens studied per child. The 35% of children parasitized by Cryptosporidium sp. showed gastrointestinal symptoms but only 14% of children with Giardia intestinalis.
Rodríguez-Hernández
J
J
Hospital Clínico, Departamento de Microbiología, Universidad de Salamanca, Spain.
Canut-Blasco
A
A
Martín-Sánchez
A M
AM
D000818:Animals; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002656:Child Day Care Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D016829:Giardia lamblia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010507:Periodicity; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012621:Seasons; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012923:Social Class; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology