title: Tungiasis in schoolchildren in Criciúma, Santa Catarina State, South Brazil.
abstract: Tungiasis is a common parasitic skin disease in Brazil, caused by the flea Tunga penetrans. We conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate the occurrence of infestation with T. penetrans in primary schoolchildren in Criciúma, Santa Catarina State (South Brazil). In total, 917 children (6-10 years) of 68 schools were included in the study (11% of target population). Physical examination was followed by residential visits of those infested, to assess housing conditions and to interview the children's guardians. Of the 917, 15 (1.6%) children were infested with the parasite. The prevalence was twice as high in females (10 children--2.2%) as compared to males (five children--1.1%), but due to the low number of infested individuals, the difference was statistically not significant (p = 0.18). The mean number of lesions found was 1.4 per child. One child presented bacterial superinfection. Of the 15 children infested, 10 (66.7%) studied in schools built on pyritiferous soil. The families of 12 children (79.9%) had been living in the area in which the study was conducted for less than eight years and were considered underprivileged families with the head of the household having a low education status. We conclude that in Criciúma tungiasis occurs in primary school children, but prevalence and parasite load are low.
authors.affiliation: Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina, Tubarão, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Otenia Rosalba da Silva
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Damazio
authors.forename: Marcos Vinicius da
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Silva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004478:Ectoparasitic Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D005423:Siphonaptera