title: Giardia duodenalis and soil-transmitted helminths infections in children in São Tomé and Príncipe: do we think Giardia when addressing parasite control?
abstract: Giardia duodenalis prevalence is commonly as high as soil-transmitted helminths (STH), nevertheless is not considered for large-scale chemotherapy through mass drug administration (MDA) due to its short incubation period and frequent reinfections, its control being associated to improving access to water and sanitation. A study enrolling 444 children attending preschools was conducted in May 2011 during a deworming campaign. Faecal samples were obtained and analysed through microscopy of wet mounting and after Kato-Katz and formol-ether concentration techniques. The majority of children were infected with at least one pathogenic parasite (86.7%, 385 of 444). Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura (56.3%, 250 of 444 and 52.5%, 233 of 444, respectively) were the most frequent parasites followed by G. duodenalis infecting 41.7% (185 of 444) of the children. The present work aimed at obtaining updated information concerning intestinal parasite infections in children attending preschools in São Tomé and Príncipe and to contribute for the adequate management of the enteric infections.
authors.affiliation: Unidade de Clínica Tropical e Centro de Malária e Doenças Tropicais-LA, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal fsferreira@ihmt.unl.pt.
authors.forename: Filipa Santana
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Microbiologia Clínica e Biologia Molecular, Hospital Egas Moniz, Serviço de Patologia Clínica do Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Ocidental, 1349-019 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baptista-Fernandes
authors.affiliation: Posto Médico da Sonangol, 239 Lubango, Angola.
authors.forename: Dinamene
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Unidade de Clínica Tropical e Centro de Malária e Doenças Tropicais-LA, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Rúben
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Instituto Marquês de Valle Flôr, São Tomé Office, 280, São Tomé
authors.forename: Edgar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.affiliation: Instituto Marquês de Valle Flôr, São Tomé Office, 280, São Tomé
authors.forename: António
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.affiliation: Instituto Marquês de Valle Flôr, São Tomé Office, 280, São Tomé
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Garrido
authors.affiliation: Instituto Marquês de Valle Flôr, São Tomé Office, 280, São Tomé
authors.forename: Guilherme
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Afonso
authors.affiliation: Instituto Marquês de Valle Flôr, 1100-548 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zaky
authors.affiliation: Instituto Marquês de Valle Flôr, 1100-548 Lisboa, Portugal Serviço de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Prof. Doutor Fernando Fonseca, 2720-276 Amadora, Portugal.
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Telles de Freitas
authors.affiliation: Unidade de Clínica Tropical e Centro de Malária e Doenças Tropicais-LA, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Atouguia
authors.affiliation: Unidade de Clínica Tropical e Centro de Malária e Doenças Tropicais-LA, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Sónia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Centeno-Lima
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001266:Atlantic Islands / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology*; D005872:Giardia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D058069:Neglected Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012987:Soil / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D012987:Soil
keywords: Giardia duodenalis; Soil-transmitted helminths; São Tomé and Príncipe; preschoolers