title: Moderate- and low-intensity co-infections by intestinal helminths and Schistosoma mansoni, dietary iron intake, and anemia in Brazilian children.
abstract: To determine the role of moderate- and low-intensity infections with Schistosoma mansoni and intestinal helminths (hookworm, Trichuris trichiura, Ascaris lumbricoides) on the prevalence of anemia and their relationship to iron consumption, a cross-section of 1,709 children in rural Brazil was studied. All participants were selected for infection with one or multiple helminthic parasites, and demographic, anthropometric, and dietary intake were surveyed. The prevalence and intensity were as follows: hookworm infection, 15.7% and 8.6 eggs/g; T. trichiura, 74.8% and 190.5 eggs/g; A. lumbricoides, 63% and 1,905.5 eggs/g; S. mansoni, 44.5% and 60.3 eggs/g. There was no increase in odds ratio for anemia with any combination of intestinal helminths without S. mansoni infection. By logistic regression, the odds ratio for having anemia when infected with S. mansoni and two intestinal helminths was 1.7 (95% CI, 1.1-2.5) and for S. mansoni and three intestinal helminths was 2.4 (95% CI, 1.2-4.6) compared with children with a single parasite species. Children with an adequate intake of iron had no increased odds of anemia independent of the combination of parasite infections.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Saúde Coletiva, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil. luciara@ufba.br
authors.forename: Luciara L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Brito
authors.forename: Maurício L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Barreto
authors.forename: Rita De Cássia R
authors.initials: Rde C
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Ana Marlúcia O
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Assis
authors.forename: Mitermayer G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.forename: Isabel M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Parraga
authors.forename: Ronald E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Blanton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000150:complications*; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D019266:Iron, Dietary; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D019266:Iron, Dietary