[Prevalence of intestinal parasites in children of Yukpa Ethnia in Toromo, Zulia State, Venezuela].
BACKGROUND
Yupkpa community in Perijá Sierra does not have drinking water or sewage elimination systems. Thus it becomes a propitious place for infection with intestinal parasites.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites in children, ages 0 to 14 years, in the Yukpa ethnic population of Toromo in the Perijá Mountains, Zulia State, Venezuela.


METHODS
Ninety one fecal samples were analyzed by the following coproparasitologic methods: saline solution and lugol fresh mount, formalin-ether concentration (Ritchie), and Kinyoun stain for intestinal coccidians.


RESULTS
Overall parasite infection prevalence was 83.5%. The most frequently observed parasites were: Ascaris lumbricoides (57.1%), Trichuris trichiura (20.8%), Hymenolepis nana (14.2%), Blastocystis hominis (51.6%), Giardia lamblia (30.7%), and Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar complex (21.9%). Coccidians were nont observed in any of the stool samples.


CONCLUSIONS
The large number of infected people is directly related to the hygienic and sanitary conditions of the population studied.
Díaz A
Iris
I
Cátedra de Parasitología, Escuela de Bioanálisis, Universidad del Zulia,Venezuela.
Rivero R
Zulbey
Z
Bracho M
Angela
A
Castellanos S
María
M
Acurero
Ellen
E
Calchi L
Marinella
M
Atencio T
Ricardo
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D007199:Indians, South American; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011528:Protozoan Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014687:Venezuela / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology