[Intestinal parasitosis in the asymptomatic Subsaharian immigrant population. Gran Canaria 2000].
BACKGROUND
A prospective study has been conducted in order to known the prevalence and the type of intestinal parasitoses in a cohort of healthy Subsaharian immigrants that reached Gran Canaria along the year 2000.


METHODS
348 fecal samples of 121 immigrants have been studied. In each patient a minimum of two samples and a maximum of three samples was studied. Each sample was evaluated through two techniques: visualization of a direct preparation dyed with Lugol and through the technique of concentration of Kato.


RESULTS
23.1% of the patients presented pathogenic parasites in feces, being observed 2 parasites in 5 of the patients (17.8%). The geohelminths (Ancylostoma duodenale/Necator americanus, Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and Strongyloides stercolaris) were the parasites more frequently found (87.9%). Specifically, the parasitosis found in the greatest number of participants was hookworm disease (44.8%). In this study the effectiveness of the evaluation of three feces samples is demonstrated in order to increase the percentage of diagnosed intestinal parasitoses. The visualization of a direct preparation dyed with Lugol permitted the diagnosis of 63.6% of the parasitoses, while the technique of Kato detected 56.6% of the helminth infections.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of geohelminths in the asymptomatic Subsaharian immigrant population is elevated. The complementary use of the microscopic study of a direct preparation dyed with Lugol and the technique of Kato increase the diagnostic performance.
Martín Sánchez
A M
AM
Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Insular de Gran Canaria, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. mmartin@cicei.ulpgc.es
Hernández García
A
A
González Fernández
M
M
Afonso Rodríguez
O
O
Hernández Cabrera
M
M
Pérez Arellano
J L
JL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017954:Africa South of the Sahara / Q000208:ethnology; D000818:Animals; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D010271:Parasites / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015995:Prevalence; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology