title: [Associations between geohelminths and socioenvironmental conditions among different human populations in Argentina].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the relationship between the geohelminth species found in urban, suburban, and rural areas of the Buenos Aires and Misiones provinces of Argentina, and the socioenvironmental conditions that promote infection by these parasites.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional study that analyzed 700 human fecal samples taken from 319 families residing in an urban population (UP) and two suburban ones (SUP1, SUP2) in the Province of Buenos Aires, and a rural one in Misiones (RP). Thirty-five samples of dog feces and 205 earth samples were taken, plus surveys were performed of the socioenvironmental characteristics of the study areas. The Ritchie, Carles-Barthelemy, Fülleborn, and Kato-Katz parasite analysis techniques were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The highest incidence of parasites was in RP (78.4%), followed by the suburban areas SUP1 (35.0%) and SUP2 (25.8%), and lastly, the urban area (5.7%). Ancylostomatidae (71.1%) and Strongyloides stercoralis (22.2%) were found only in RP, while Ascaris lumbricoides, Hymenolepis nana, and Trichuris trichiura were most frequent in SUP1. The samples of dog feces from the Misiones province had the highest incidence of parasites (100%) compared to those from Buenos Aires, but the urban dirt from this city proved to be more contaminated. Poor hygiene habits in food preparation and toileting, overcrowding, walking barefoot, and dwellings with dirt floors were significantly associated with a higher frequency of intestinal geohelminths and pseudogeohelminths (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The great number of cases of multiple infestations seen among suburban as well as rural populations calls for special attention and underscores the need for more extensive epidemiological studies that take on the different aspects of this complex issue with the goal of implementing more efficient health initiatives and programs.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores, Universidad Nacional de La Plata y Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), La Plata, Argentina. inesgamboa@cepave.edu.ar
authors.forename: María Inés
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Gamboa
authors.forename: Leonora Eugenia
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Kozubsky
authors.forename: María Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Costas
authors.forename: Mariela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garraza
authors.forename: Marta Inés
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Cardozo
authors.forename: María Laura
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Susevich
authors.forename: Paula Natalia
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Magistrello
authors.forename: Graciela Teresa
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Navone
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D001118:Argentina; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D006376:Helminths / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors