Emerging opportunistic protozoa and intestinal pathogenic protozoal infestation profile in children of western Nepal.
Intestinal parasitic infestation continues to be of public health importance in many tropical and subtropical countries for their high prevalence and effects on the morbidity in the population. This 5-year hospital-based retrospective analysis was aimed to find out the intestinal protozoal parasitic profile in 1790 pre-school and school-going children visiting the hospital with gastrointestinal illness. Giardia lamblia was the most prevalent pathogenic protozoan intestinal parasite (73.4%), followed by Entamoeba histolytica (24.4%). Interestingly, "newer" opportunistic pathogens like Cyclospora cayetanensis (1.0%) and Cryptosporidium sp. (1.0%) were detected from immunocompromised children below 2 years of age as a result of vertical transmission, which is alarming for a country like Nepal at the stage of 'concentrated epidemic' of HIV infection.
Easow
Joshy Maducolil
JM
Department of Microbiology, Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal.
Mukhopadhyay
Chiranjoy
C
Wilson
Godwin
G
Guha
Simantee
S
Jalan
Basavaraj Yogitha
BY
Shivananda
Padavagadu Ganapati
PG
D000818:Animals; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004748:Entamoeba histolytica / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D016829:Giardia lamblia / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009390:Nepal / Q000453:epidemiology; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000469:parasitology*; D011528:Protozoan Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies