title: Intestinal parasitism in Peruvian children and molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium species.
abstract: Intestinal parasitism was studied in children of Trujillo (Peru) to create a prevention and control program. Fecal samples of 489 children were examined. The general prevalence of intestinal parasitosis was found to be 68%. The most frequent pathogenic enteroparasites were Giardia lamblia (26.4%), Cyclospora cayetanensis (13%), Hymenolepis nana (2%), Hymenolepis diminuta (1.6%), and Cryptosporidium spp. (1%). All these parasites appeared both in diarrheic and nondiarrheic children, except Cryptosporidium, which invariably caused diarrhea. Multiple parasitism was frequent, 45.6% of the children presenting two, three, or four intestinal parasites. Cryptosporidium was the only parasite that was not associated with the others. Only five children were affected of cryptosporidiosis, presenting explosive diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Cryptosporidium species and genotypes involved in the infantile cryptosporidiosis were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Four children were parasitized by Cryptosporidium hominis and only one by Cryptosporidium parvum. Our results confirm that anthroponotic transmission of Cryptosporidium is predominant in Peru.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad Nacional de Trujillo, Trujillo, Peru.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Cordova Paz Soldan
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vargas Vásquez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gonzalez Varas
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Peréz Cordón
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Velasco Soto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Moreno
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rodríguez Gonzalez
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rosales Lombardo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000469:parasitology; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010271:Parasites / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010568:Peru / Q000453:epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan