title: Prevalence and pathogenic role of Cyclospora cayetanensis in a Venezuelan community.
abstract: The prevalence and pathogenic role of Cyclospora cayetanensis among 212 subjects (age range = two months to 70 years) in an impoverished community in Venezuela were assessed retrospectively. For identification of the coccidium, modified Ziehl-Neelsen carbolfuchsin staining of formalin-ether concentrates was used. For other pathogenic parasites, iron-hematoxylin-stained smears and formalin-ether concentrates were examined. Cyclospora infections were identified in 13 (6.1%) subjects with a high percentage of asymptomatic carriers (11 of 13, 84.6%). Only two (15.4%) infants had diarrhea and the coccidium as the single detectable pathogenic parasite. The findings suggest that Cyclospora infections are relatively common and often asymptomatic in this region.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Clinicas, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela. ebonillaro@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Leonor
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chacin-Bonilla
authors.forename: Margot
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mejia de Young
authors.forename: Jesus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Estevez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D021744:Cyclospora / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D021866:Cyclosporiasis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014687:Venezuela / Q000453:epidemiology