title: Prevalence rates of Giardia and Cryptosporidium among diarrheic patients in the Philippines.
abstract: The prevalence of Giardia and Cryptosporidium among 3,456 diarrheic patients corrected from May 2004 to May 2005 in the Philippines was determined. Of 133 (3.8%) positive samples, 69 (2.0%) were positive for Giardia and 67 (1.9%) for Cryptosporidium. Three samples had co-infection with Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Luzon had the highest positive samples (5.0%) followed by Mindanao (4.9%), then Visayas (2.2%). Giardia was most prevalent in Mindanao (3.6%) while Cryptosporidium was most prevalent in Luzon (3.1%). The prevalence of Giardia (2.0%) among pediatric patients (0-18 years) did not significantly differ from that (1.9%) among adults (> 18 years old). However, for Cryptosporidium, the prevalence (2.9%) among pediatric patients was significantly higher compared to that (0.2%) among adult patients. In the pediatric population, the highest percentage of patients with Giardia was the 5-9 year old age group, while that of Cryptosporidium was in the 0-4 year old group. The prevalence of Giardia, but not Cryptosporidium, was significantly higher in male than female adults. Seasonality had a distinct peak in September with Cryptosporidium more prevalent in the rainy (2.6%) than dry season (0.9%).
authors.affiliation: Research and Biotechnology Division, St Luke's Medical Center, 279 E Rodriguez Sr Avenue, Quezon City 1102, Philippines. ffnatividad@stluke.com.ph
authors.forename: Filipinas F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Natividad
authors.forename: Corazon C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Buerano
authors.forename: Catherine B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Lago
authors.forename: Cynthia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Mapua
authors.forename: Blanquita B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: de Guzman
authors.forename: Ebonia B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Seraspe
authors.forename: Lorena P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Samentar
authors.forename: Takuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Endo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D005872:Giardia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010679:Philippines / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012621:Seasons; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult