Clinical status and parasitic infection in a Wichí Aboriginal community in Salta, Argentina.
In a study, carried out in 2000, of the clinical and parasitological status of a Wichi Aboriginal community living in the suburbs of Tartagal, northern Salta, Argentina, 154 individuals were screened for parasitic infections. Ninety-five faecal samples were also obtained from the same population. Ninety-three percent of the subjects were positive for 1 or more of the parasites investigated by direct test and 70.5% of them had parasitic superinfection. The most frequent helminths were Strongyloides stercoralis (50.5%) and hookworm (47.4%). We found low reinfection rates and a long reinfection period after treatment and provision of safe water and sanitation. Serum reactivity of these patients was analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and indirect immunofluorescent assay and 22.1% of them had anti-Toxocara antibodies, 16.2% were positive for a complex antigen of Leishmania braziliensis, 29.9% were positive for a complex Trypanosoma cruzi antigen, and 17.5% were positive for a specific Trypanosoma cruzi antigen, Ag 163B6/cruzipain.
Instituto de Investigaciones en Enfermedades Tropicales and Cátedra de Microbiología y Parasitología, Sede Regional Orán, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta, Argentina.
N J
NJ
Taranto
S P
SP
Cajal
M C
MC
De Marzi
M M
MM
Fernández
F M
FM
Frank
A M
AM
Brú
M C
MC
Minvielle
J A
JA
Basualdo
E L
EL
Malchiodi
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000740:Anemia / Q000208:ethnology / Q000469:parasitology; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000208:ethnology / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007199:Indians, South American / Q000208:ethnology*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010272:Parasitic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*