title: Detection of Dientamoeba fragilis in Portuguese children with acute gastroenteritis between 2011 and 2013.
abstract: Dientamoeba fragilis is an inhabitant of human gastrointestinal tract with a worldwide distribution. The first description considered this protozoan a rare and harmless commensal, since then it has struggled to gain recognition as a pathogen. Commercial multiplex real-time PCR was used to detect D. fragilis in fecal samples from hospitalized children (⩽18 years) with acute gastrointestinal disease, admitted to two hospitals of Lisbon area, with different demographic characteristics. A total of 176 children were studied, 103 (58·5%) male, 144 (81·8%) children between 0 and 5 years and 32 (18·2%) above 6 years old. The overall protozoa frequency considering the four tested microorganisms were 8·5% (15/176), and the most frequently found protozoan was D. fragilis, 6·3% (11/176). Dientamoeba fragilis frequency was higher among older children (21·9%), than younger children (2·8%), and greater in boys (6·8%) than in girls (5·5%). All positive children presented with diarrhoea associated with vomiting, fever and abdominal pain. Infection was associated with the age of children (P < 0·001), school attendance (P = 0·002) and consumption of certain foods (P = 0·014), e.g. cakes with crème and ham. The frequency of diantamoebiasis found in a cohort of hospitalized Portuguese children, with acute gastrointestinal disease, could be considered a very high value when compared with the protozoan frequency normally associated with this pathology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases,National Reference Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Infections,National Institute of Health Dr Ricardo Jorge I.P.,Lisbon,Portugal.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Júlio
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases,Reference and Surveillance Unit,National Institute of Health Dr Ricardo Jorge I.P.,Lisbon,Portugal.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Furtado
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases,National Reference Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Infections,National Institute of Health Dr Ricardo Jorge I.P.,Lisbon,Portugal.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.affiliation: Hospital Professor Doutor Fernando Fonseca,Paediatric Service,Amadora,Portugal.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Escobar
authors.affiliation: Hospital D. Estefânia,Paediatric Service,Lisbon,Portugal.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Brito
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases,National Reference Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Infections,National Institute of Health Dr Ricardo Jorge I.P.,Lisbon,Portugal.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oleastro
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain; D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003967:Diarrhea; D004029:Dientamoeba / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004030:Dientamoebiasis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D060885:Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Dientamoeba fragilis; Portugal; acute gastroenteritis; frequency; hospitalized children