Child Parasitosis in Marginal Areas of San Luis

MESSINA, G; STEGE, P; TORRES, P; CELI, A; VEGA, A; HASUOKA, R.P

San Luis

Congreso; XIX Reunión Científica Anual 2001; 2001

Sociedad de biología de cuyo

Parasite diseases are more frequent in underdeveloped countries. The purpose of this work was lo determined the prevalence of parasitosis in the child population of some marginal areas of the city of San Luis. Children (n = 140) of up lo 14 years of age belonging to three areas of different socioeconomic level (A= middle; B=low and C= very low) were studied. Two types of samples were ob­tained for each subject: perianal swabbing to detect Enterobious vermicularis and Tenia sp and stool screening to detect the remain­ing enteroparasites. The results indicate a tendency (p≤ 0.08) to a higher percentage of subjects with parasites in group B as com­pared to A. Significant differences were also observed (p≤ 0.04) between A and C, while no differences were found between B and C. For all studied children, the prevalence of the detected parasites was: Blastocystis hominis, 37%; Enterovius vermicularis, 20.2%; Entamoeba coli, 14.3%; Giardia duodenalis, 9.6%; Iodamoeba büttschlii, 7.9%; and Hymenolepis nana, 5.8%. Chilomastix mesnili, Ascoris lumbricoides, Endolimox nana and Enteromonas hominis were found in lower proportions.