Control of parasitic infections among school children in the peri-urban area of Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil.
The prevalence of intestinal parasitosis was investigated in a primary school located in Rubião Júnior, a peri-urban district of Botucatu, São Paulo state, Brazil, in order to assess the effect of treatment and practical measures of prophylaxis in the control of parasitic infections among 7-to-18-year-old school children of a low socio-economic status. The first series of parasitological examinations included 219 school children, of which 123 (56.1%) were found to be infected with one or more parasite species. Eighty-four children carrying pathogenic parasites were submitted to various anti-parasitic treatment schedules. We re-evaluated 75 (89%) students after 4 to 6 months post-chemotherapy. The results indicate that the combination of treatment with prophylactic measures has been successful in the control of parasitic infections, since reinfection rates were generally low (< or = 5.3%), except for Giardia lamblia infections (18.6%), and a marked reduction on the prevalence rates was observed with a significant percentage of cure (> or = 73.1%) in children infected with most parasite species. The reasons for the apparent failure in the control of infections caused by Hymenolepis nana and Strongyloides stercoralis are discussed.
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Departamento de Parasitologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Botucatu, SP.
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Padovani
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dos Anjos
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D000293:Adolescent; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D018881:Suburban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*