Giardiasis in children living in post-earthquake camps from Armenia (Colombia).
BACKGROUND
An earthquake in the coffee growing region of Colombia on January 25, 1999 destroyed 70% of the houses in Armenia city. Transitory housing camps still remained until two years after the disaster. Parasitological studies found that, in this population, giardiasis was the most frequent parasitic infection. This study was carried out in order to determine the epidemiological risk factors associated with this high prevalence.


METHODS
Fecal samples were obtained from 217 children aged between 3 and 13 years. Stool samples were studied by direct wet examination and stained with ferric hematoxilin for microscopical examination. Epidemiological data were collected by questionnaire and analyzed by using the Epi-info software (CDC, Atlanta 2001).


RESULTS
Giardia cysts were observed in 60.4% of the samples presented and trophozoites in 4.6%. The following epidemiological and laboratory factors were significantly associated with Giardia infection: 1. Use of communal toilet (vs. individual toilet) OR: 3.9, CI95%: 1.2-16; 2. water provision by municipal ducts (vs. water provision by individual tanks) OR: 3.5, CI95% 1.1-14, and 3. presence of mucus in stool OR: 2.3, IC95%: 0.9-6.7.


CONCLUSIONS
A high prevalence of giardiasis was found in children living in temporary houses after the 1999 earthquake in Armenia (Colombia). Giardiasis is an emerging disease in post-disaster situations and adequate prevention measures should be implemented during these circumstances.
Lora-Suarez
Fabiana
F
Programa de Biología, Facultad de Educacion, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia, Colombia. fabisuarez6@hotmail.com
Marin-Vasquez
Carolina
C
Loango
Nelsy
N
Gallego
Martha
M
Torres
Elizabeth
E
Gonzalez
Maria Mercedes
MM
Castaño-Osorio
Jhon Carlos
JC
Gómez-Marín
Jorge Enrique
JE
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D004190:Disasters; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D011638:Public Housing; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014038:Toilet Facilities; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis