Intestinal parasitic infection and associated symptoms in children attending day care centres in Trujillo, Venezuela.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the presence of intestinal protozoan and helminth infections and their association with clinical signs and symptoms in children in Trujillo, Venezuela.


METHODS
Conventional microscopic methods (thick-smear, saline and iodine solutions) were used to identify parasites in stool samples of 301 children attending day care centres. A subgroup of 45 children was evaluated clinically and parasitologically five times during a 1-month period using conventional methods and the Kinyoun acid-fast stain for Cryptosporidium identification.


RESULTS
The point prevalence of protozoan infections was 21% for Giardia duodenalis, 1.0% for Entamoeba histolytica/dispar, 4% for Entamoeba coli, 16% for Blastocystis hominis, and 89% for Cryptosporidium parvum. Prevalence of helminth infection was 11% for Ascaris lumbricoides, 10% for Trichuris trichiura, 0.3% for Strongyloides stercoralis, and 1.3% for Hymenolepis nana. Over a 1-month time frame, new infections were observed at a rate of 11% for G. duodenalis, 4% for E. histolytica/dispar, 7% for A. lumbricoides, 11% for T. trichiura, 0% for S. stercoralis, and 2% for H. nana. Intestinal symptoms (diarrhoea, vomiting, gas, stomach pain, and loss of appetite) were associated with presence of one or more of C. parvum or B. hominis organisms in stool samples.


CONCLUSIONS
Intestinal parasitic infections contribute significantly to the enteric disease burden experienced by this group of children. The organisms most strongly implicated by this study are common and difficult-to-treat protozoan pathogens.
Miller
Steven A
SA
Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA. stmiller@aecom.yu.edu
Rosario
Carlos Luis
CL
Rojas
Elina
E
Scorza
Jose Vicente
JV
D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011528:Protozoan Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014687:Venezuela / Q000453:epidemiology