Dientamoeba fragilis, a Commensal in Children in Danish Day Care Centers.
Dientamoeba fragilisis an intestinal protozoan of debated clinical significance. Here, we present cross-sectional and longitudinal observations onD. fragilisin children aged 0 to 6 years from a 1-year multi-day-care-center cohort study set in Copenhagen, Denmark. The inclusion period for the cohort was 2009 through 2012. Stool samples collected from the children were accompanied by questionnaires completed by the parents or guardians of the children. Using real-time PCR,D. fragiliswas detected in the first stool sample from 97 of 142 (68.3%) children. We evaluated the associations between seven plausible risk factors (age, sex, having siblings, having domestic animals at home, having had infant colic, recent history of intake of antibiotics, and recent history of travel abroad) as well as six reported symptoms (lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, weight loss, and diarrhea) and testing positive forD. fragilisThe final multivariable model identified being >3 years old and having a history of recent travel abroad as risk factors for testing positive forD. fragilisMoreover, univariable analyses indicated that having siblings was a risk factor. There was no statistical association between a recent history of gastrointestinal symptoms and testing positive forD. fragilisAmong the 108 children who were represented by ≥2 samples and thus included in the longitudinal analysis, 32 tested negative on the first sample and positive later, and the last sample from each of the 108 children was positive. The results are in support ofD. fragilisbeing a common enteric commensal in this population.
Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark PIJO@ssi.dk RUN@ssi.dk.|University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.|Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia.
Pikka
0000-0002-3035-5094
P
Jokelainen
Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Betina
B
Hebbelstrup Jensen
Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Bente Utoft
BU
Andreassen
Department of Gastroenterology, Hvidovre University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark.|Department of Clinical Microbiology, Hvidovre University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark.
Andreas Munk
AM
Petersen
Department of Pediatrics, Herlev Hospital, Herlev, Denmark.
Dennis
D
Röser
Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Karen A
0000-0001-7536-3453
KA
Krogfelt
Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Henrik V
HV
Nielsen
Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark PIJO@ssi.dk RUN@ssi.dk.
Christen R
0000-0002-1417-7048
CR
Stensvold
D002648:Child; D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D004029:Dientamoeba / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004030:Dientamoebiasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Denmark; dientamoebiasis; infants; preschoolers; risk factors; symptoms; toddlers