Clinical status and parasitic infection in a Wichi Aboriginal community in Salta, Argentina.

TARANTO NJ, CAJAL SP, DE MARZI MC, FERNANDEZ MM, FRANK FM, BRU AM, MINVIELLE MC, BASUALDO JA & MALCHIODI EL.

TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE

ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2003 vol. 97 p. 554 - 558

0035-9203

In a study of clinical and parasitological status of a Wichí aboriginal community in the suburbs of a city in Northern Salta, Argentina, 154 individuals were screened for parasitic infections.  Ninety five faecal samples were additionally obtained from the same population. 92.6% of the subjects were positives for one or more of the parasites investigated by direct test and 70.5% of them had parasite superinfection.  The most frequent helminths were Strongyloides stercoralis (50.5%) and hookworms (47.4%).  We found low reinfection rates and long reinfection period after treatment and provision of safe water and sanitation.  Serum reactivity of these patients was analysed by ELISA and IFAs founding that 22.1% of them  had anti-Toxocara antibodies, 16.2% were positive for a complex antigen of Leishmania, 29.9% were positive for a complex T. cruzi antigen but 17.5% were positive for a specific Trypanosoma cruzi antigen, Ag163B6/cruzipain.