title: Evaluation of enteroparasite control activities in a Kaingáng community of Southern Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the parasitological state of families in an indigenous community after institution of enteroparasite control measures.
  
  
  METHODS
  A longitudinal study was conducted between 2004 and 2006 among 447 individuals of the Kaingáng ethnic group, in the municipality of Cândido de Abreu, Southern Brazil. The enteroparasite control measures were: sanitation improvements in 2003, antiparasite treatments that were administered during the study period, and health education activities that were started in 2005. Parasitological health indicators were obtained through three coproparasitological surveys (in 2004, 2005 and 2006), in which 250, 147 and 126 stool samples, respectively, were collected. These were evaluated using the spontaneous sedimentation, centrifugation-flotation and Kato-Katz methods. Housing and hygiene conditions were assessed by means of a questionnaire applied to 69 (2004), 57 (2005) and 38 (2006) of the 90 families.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall prevalences of enteroparasites were 91.6% (2004), 94.6% (2005) and 87.3% (2006) and did not show any significant reduction. The prevalence of some species decreased, while the prevalence of others increased significantly. High-intensity infections due to geohelminths presented rates of less than 2% over the study period. The proportion of the interviewees who reported using a toilet increased from 38.8% to 71.1% (p< 0.005) and the proportion taking antiparasite agents increased from 70.2% to 100% (p= 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There were significant improvements in the parasitological health indicators, such as reductions in the prevalence of some species of enteroparasites and maintenance of a low parasite load, thus showing the importance of combining antiparasite treatment with sanitation improvements.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Av. Colombo 5790, Maringá, PR, Brazil. mjotoledo@uem.br
authors.forename: Max Jean de Ornelas
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Toledo
authors.forename: Andrey Wilder
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Paludetto
authors.forename: Fabiana de Toledo
authors.initials: Fde T
authors.lastname: Moura
authors.forename: Evaldo Silva do
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chaves
authors.forename: Silvana Marques de
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.forename: Lúcio Tadeu
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Mota
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005006:Ethnicity; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006376:Helminths / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006798:Housing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D012499:Sanitation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D055815:Young Adult