High occurrence of giardiasis in children living on a 'landless farm workers' settlement in Araras, São Paulo, Brazil

Enteric parasitosis remains an important public health problem in many areas around the world including in Brazil, and it is frequently associated with poverty and lack of sanitation facilities. Research carried out over the course of a year revealed that 96.6% (28/29) of children randomly selected from a 'landless farm workers' settlement in Araras, São Paulo, aged 4 - 15 years, presented Giardia intestinalis cysts. After referral to the neighborhood Health Office, all the children received tinidazole, given as a single dose of 50 mg/kg and 12 months later, new fecal samples were collected and analyzed. Despite the low adherence to the study, a high percentage (64.3% - 9/14) of the children remained positive for the parasite. This study showed a high positivity of giardiasis in child residents of the settlement, even after treatment; adults were not sensitized to the study and did not collected and/or deliver children fecal samples. The precarious living conditions are consistent with a high susceptibility to parasitic diseases, suggesting that the treatment of the infected individuals without identifying and eradicating the means of contamination is simply a palliative measure

Evolução da prevalência de parasitoses intestinais em escolares em Caxias do Sul, RS Evolution of the prevalence of intestinal parasitosis among schoolchildren in Caxias do Sul, RS

Relatos da prevalência das parasitoses intestinais no Brasil são pontuais e têm sido descritos em diferentes populações, tornando difícil um diagnóstico abrangente. Visando estudar a variação em 35 anos da prevalência de enteroparasitoses em escolares de Caxias do Sul, RS, foram avaliados 9.787 exames parasitológicos de fezes realizados por centrífugo-sedimentação. Resultaram positivas 5.655 (58%) amostras sendo mais prevalente a infestação por Ascaris lumbricoides (47%), Trichuris trichiura (36%), Enterobius vermicularis (8%) e os protozoários: Giardia lamblia (24%) e Entamoeba coli (20%). A prevalência geral diminuiu de 89% para 37%, com um decréscimo médio de 1,4% ao ano. Houve redução na prevalência de Ascaris lumbricoides de 61 para 26% e de Trichuris trichiura de 38 a 18%. Para Giardia lamblia não houve alteração significativa. A prevalência de Entamoeba coli cresceu de 29 a 46%. Os decréscimos obtidos na prevalência dos helmintos são provavelmente devidos às melhorias da infra-estrutura e às ações formativas desenvolvidas nas escolas.<br>Reports on the prevalence of intestinal parasitosis in Brazil have been local in nature, with descriptions of different populations, which makes comprehensive diagnosis difficult. With the aim of studying the variation in the prevalence of intestinal parasitosis among schoolchildren in Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, over a 35-year period, 9,787 parasitological stool tests that had been performed using centrifugal sedimentation were evaluated. There were positive results from 5,655 samples (58%), and the most prevalent infestations were of Ascaris lumbricoides (47%), Trichuris trichiura (36%), Enterobius vermicularis (8%) and the protozoa Giardia lamblia (24%) and Entamoeba coli (20%). The overall prevalence diminished from 89% to 37%, indicating an average decrease of 1.4% per year. Reductions in prevalence were observed for Ascaris lumbricoides (61 to 26%) and Trichuris trichiura (38 to 18%). No significant change was observed for Giardia lamblia. The prevalence of Entamoeba coli increased from 29 to 46%. The decreases in helminth prevalence were probably due to infrastructure improvements and educational actions undertaken in schools