Enterobiasis and its risk factors in urban, rural, and indigenous children of subtropical Argentina

RIVERO, MARIA ROMINA; DE ANGELO, CARLOS; FELIZIANI, CONSTANZA; LIANG, SONG; TIRANTI, KARINA; SALAS, MARTIN MIGUEL; SALOMON, OSCAR DANIEL

PARASITOLOGY

CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS

Año: 2021 p. 1 - 40

0031-1820

A cross-sectional survey to assess the prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis infection and itsassociated factors among the child population of infant, preschool and school age in theurban, rural, and indigenous population of Iguazú city, in subtropical Argentina waspresented. Additionally, the status of enterobiasis at country level was reviewed andanalysed. E. vermicularis presence was assessed employing an oviscopic serial samplingtechnique. Statistical analysis of socio-demographic determinants was performed byGeneralised Linear Mixed Models at individual, household, and community levels. PreferredReporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines were used to gathernational information about E. vermicularis prevalence spanning the decade 2010-2020. Atotal of 916 children from 470 families participated. Overall prevalence was 29.8%, with25.3, 30.7 and 34.2% detected for children inhabiting urban, rural, and indigenous villages,respectively. The multi-level analysis showed that the presence of E. vermicularis was mostlydetermined by individual (e.g., age, playing habits, previous pinworm infection) andhousehold level factors (e.g., family size, overcrowding conditions). Interestingly, WASHvariables, such as waste disposal, analysed at community level were also important. Datawere analysed to provide eco-epidemiological features of enterobiasis in a heterogeneoussubtropical child population in the same territory but with different socio-sanitary realities.The importance of promoting multi-level actions against the determinants identified, tocontrol this public health problem integratively was evidenced. The scoping review ofnational data updated the state of knowledge of this parasitosis, identifying risk determinantsand gaps in knowledge at country level.