National State Survey to identify the presence of intestinal parasitic infections of mixed randomized patients as prevention who attended the IMSS laboratory

Introduction: Nowadays in our state, intestinal parasitic diseases are still endemic, with a greater frequency in rural and mountainous urban areas. After the years have elapsed since the last national survey, it was necessary to carry out a new survey to know the prevalence rates of intestinal parasitosis and to compare the results obtained between both studies. Such knowledge would be of great value in developing health strategies and designing intestinal parasitic infection control programs. Objective: to determine the current prevalence rates of intestinal parasites, to compare the results with those of the survey obtained. Methods: a random cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out during the months of December 2018 to March 2019 in a random sample of both sexes from the population of urban communities and the province of Zacatecas, Zac. Each one had a stool sample collected that was analyzed by the direct examination method, the Willis concentration technique, and the Kato-Katz examination; A questionnaire was also applied to them. Results: when comparing the results of the national and state surveys of intestinal parasitic infections carried out in 2009 and 2018, it was found that, in general, infections by parasites decreased, both helminths and pathogenic protozoa, although those infected with commensals increased their frequency in that of 2019. There was also a decrease in the frequency of infections by all species of soil-transmitted helminths, Trichuris trichiura, Ascaris lumbricoides, ancylostomideos, and Strongyloides stercoralis, as well as by the pathogenic protozoa Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba histolitica. Conclusions: when comparing the results of national and state surveys of intestinal parasite infections carried out in 2018 and 2019, it was found that in general the frequencies of infections with intestinal parasites decreased. The finding in both studies of a higher frequency of infection with parasites or commensals in the group aged 5 to 14 years (school age), supports the recommendation to place emphasis on control programs for intestinal parasites in this age group.

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Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in southwest of Iran: A four-year retrospective study

Infectious Disorders - Drug Targets ◽

10.2174/1871526519666191113105043 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Shahrzad Soltani ◽

Shokrollah Salmanzadeh ◽

Sheyda Soltani ◽

Mehdi Sagha Kahvaz ◽

Sara Mobarak ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Intestinal Parasites ◽

Strongyloides Stercoralis ◽

Health Concern ◽

Parasitic Infections ◽

Blastocystis Hominis ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Intestinal Parasitic Infections ◽

Infected People ◽

Southwest Of Iran

Background: The current study was aimed to assess the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) in persons who were referred to selected hospitals of Abadan and Khorramshahr cities, in southwest of Iran. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 43200 and 28821 stool specimens were gathered from Abadan and Khorramshahr cities, respectively, during four consecutive years (2014-2017). Results: A decreasing trend was seen in the prevalence rate of IPIs in Abadan and Khorramshahr cities. The overall prevalence of IPIs were estimated 5.82% and 6.11% in Abadan and Khorramshahr cities, respectively. In Abadan city, the proportion of IPIs in male persons with 56% was higher than females 44%, while in Khorramshahr city, the more prevalence was observed in females (54% vs. 46%). Moreover, according to the season, the highest prevalence were recorded in the Spiring (30.4%) and Summer (31.1%) in Abadan and Khorramshahr cities, respectively. We found Giardia lamblia, as the most frequent parasite in studied individuals of both cities (Abadan: 2.92%; 1261/43200 and Khorramshahr: 3.15%; 908/28821). Other parasites were as follows: Entamoeba histolytica/dispar, E. coli, E. hartmanni, Blastocystis hominis, Hymenolepis nana, Enterobius vermicularis, Strongyloides stercoralis, and Taenia spp. Conclusion: This was the first study on the prevalence of IPIs in Abadan and Khorramshahr cities, southwest of Iran. Intestinal parasites are still the main public health concern in these regions. Health education, improving sanitary conditions, screening and treatment of infected people, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas can be helpful.

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FREQUENCY OF INTESTINAL PARASITIC INFECTIONS AMONG SCHOOLCHILDREN IN IBB CITY-YEMEN

Universal Journal of Pharmaceutical Research ◽

10.22270/ujpr.v5i2.388 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Eglal Ahmed Qasem ◽

Wadhah Hassan Edrees ◽

Wadee Abdullah Al-Shehari ◽

Mohammed Ali Alshahethi

Keyword(s):

Peer Review ◽

Intestinal Parasites ◽

Parasitic Infection ◽

Multiple Infections ◽

Parasitic Infections ◽

Intestinal Parasitic Infection ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Intestinal Parasitic Infections ◽

Intestinal Parasitosis ◽

E Mail

Objectives: Intestinal parasitic infections are widely distributed and remain one of the most health problems in Yemen. This is a cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection and associated factors among schoolchildren in Ibb City, Yemen. Methods: A total of 300 stool samples were collected from schoolchildren between January to April 2018 and examined by direct smear and formalin ether concentration techniques. Results: The result showed that 62.7% were positive for intestinal parasites, with a higher frequency of single than multiple infections (85.1 vs. 14.36%, respectively). Also, 85.64% were infected by protozoa whereas 14.36% infected by helminths. The prevalence of infection was 61.70% for Entameba histolytica, 23.94% for Giardia lamblia, 7.45% for Ascaris lumbricoides, 4.3% for Hymenolepis nana, and 2.61% for Enterobius vermicularis. Moreover, the highest prevalence of E. histolytica, G. lamblia, and A. lumbricoides was within group aged 9-12 years. H. nana was between age groups of 9-12 and 13-16 years while E. vermicularis was found among 5-8 and 9-12 years. In addition, females were 69% infected significantly higher than males 54.55%. Besides, the various signs and symptoms associated with intestinal infections have been documented. Conclusion: High prevalence of intestinal infection was documented among schoolchildren drinking from cistern water, poor hygiene practices, poor food sanitation, non-swimming, and non-previously treated for Schistosoma parasite. High frequency of intestinal parasitic infection between schoolchildren in the study area requires more effort to implement the appropriate programmers that warrant to control and prevention the prevalence of intestinal parasitosis. Peer Review History: Received 1 March 2019; Revised 7 April; Accepted 3 May, Available online 15 May 2020 UJPR follows the most transparent and toughest ‘Advanced OPEN peer review’ system. The identity of the authors and, reviewers will be known to each other. This transparent process will help to eradicate any possible malicious/purposeful interference by any person (publishing staff, reviewer, editor, author, etc) during peer review. As a result of this unique system, all reviewers will get their due recognition and respect, once their names are published in the papers. We expect that, by publishing peer review reports with published papers, will be helpful to many authors for drafting their article according to the specifications. Auhors will remove any error of their article and they will improve their article(s) according to the previous reports displayed with published article(s). The main purpose of it is ‘to improve the quality of a candidate manuscript’. Our reviewers check the ‘strength and weakness of a manuscript honestly’. There will increase in the perfection, and transparency. Received file Average Peer review marks at initial stage: 6.0/10 Average Peer review marks at publication stage: 8.0/10 Reviewer(s) detail: Name: Dr. Hassan A.H. Al-Shamahy Affiliation: Sana'a University, Yemen E-mail: [email protected] Name: Hebatallaha A Moustafa Affiliation: Ain Shams University, Egypt E-mail: [email protected] Comments of reviewer(s): Similar Articles: COCCIDIAN INTESTINAL PARASITES AMONG CHILDREN IN AL-TORBAH CITY IN YEMEN: IN COUNTRY WITH HIGH INCIDENCE OF MALNUTRITION

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What are Hidden Facts behind Intestinal Parasitic Infections in Ilam City?

Infectious Disorders - Drug Targets ◽

10.2174/1871526518666180508125418 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (3) ◽

pp. 284-287

Author(s):

S. Viesy ◽

J. Abdi ◽

Z. Rezaei

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Intestinal Parasites ◽

Parasitic Infection ◽

Public Health Education ◽

Health Problems ◽

Parasitic Infections ◽

Blastocystis Hominis ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Intestinal Parasitic Infections ◽

Number Of Patients

Background: Intestinal parasitic infections are the one of the most common health problems in developing countries. Objective: A number of patients die annually due to complications caused by these parasites.Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the rate and type of parasitic infections, determine the factors affecting them in Ilam city and also provide strategies to prevent them.In this descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in one of the Ilam labs in 2016, 417 stool specimens were randomly collected. All specimens were examined using direct and ethanol formaldehyde.Suspect specimens were examined using Trichrom staining. Demographic information was also recorded in a questionnaire, and finally the results were analyzed using statistical software SPSS 20.The data were then compared with Chi-square test. Results: Out of the 417 patients examined, 59 (14.1%) were infected with intestinal parasites. The type of parasitic infection in 9.4% was Blastocystis hominis, 3.6% Entamoeba coli, 0.5% Entamoeba histolytica, 0.5% Giardia and 0.2% Trichomonas hominis. Conclusion: Despite the improvement of public health, parasitic infections are still considered as one of the health problems in the city of Ilam. Therefore, proper planning, public health education, raising the level of health in the area and the provision of safe drinking water are some of the ways to reduce parasitic infections in the region.

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Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections and associated factors among patients attending at Sanja Primary Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: An institutional-based cross-sectional study

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0247075 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. e0247075

Author(s):

Tahir Eyayu ◽

Teklehaimanot Kiros ◽

Lemma Workineh ◽

Meslo Sema ◽

Shewaneh Damtie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Associated Factors ◽

Parasitic Infection ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Northwest Ethiopia ◽

Parasitic Infections ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Intestinal Parasitic Infections ◽

Intestinal Parasitosis ◽

Primary Hospital ◽

Study Participants

Background Intestinal Parasitic Infections are the most prevalent diseases in the world, predominantly in developing countries. It is estimated that more than two billion people are affected globally, mostly in tropical and sub-tropical parts of the world. Ethiopia is one of the countries in Africa with a high prevalence of intestinal parasites. However, there is a limited study conducted in the study area. Hence, this study was to assess the prevalence and associated factors of intestinal parasitosis among patients attending at Sanja Primary Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Sanja Primary Hospital from January 1 to August 20, 2019. Stool samples were collected from 1240 study participants and analyzed by direct wet mount and formal ether concentration techniques. Furthermore, sociodemographic and explanatory variables were collected using a face-to-face interview. Data were entered into Epi data version 4.4.2.1 and transferred to SPSS version 23 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariate binary logistic regression models were fitted to identify associated factors of intestinal parasitic infections. Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was considered to ascertain the significance of the association. Results The overall prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection was 52.9% (95% CI: 50.2%-55.5%). Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (21.5%) was the leading cause of intestinal parasitosis followed by Hookworm species (13.3%). Furthermore, the rate of double and triple parasitic infections was observed in 6.1% and 0.5% of study participants respectively. Being Illiterate (AOR: 2.87, 95% CI: 1.06–7.47, p = 0.038), swimming habits of more than 4 times a month (AOR = 2.91, 95% CI 1.62–5.24, p< 0.001) and not washing hands before a meal (AOR: 3.92, 95% CI: 1.74–8.83, p = 0.001) were the key factors significantly associated with intestinal parasitic infection. Conclusions The present study showed that the prevalence of intestinal parasitosis is high in the study area. Therefore, there is a need for an integrated control program, including improving personal, environmental sanitation and health education should be given to have a lasting impact on transmission.

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Assessment of prevalence and risk factors for intestinal parasitosis, malnutrition and anemia among school children in Ghindae area, Eritrea

10.1101/2020.03.30.20042523 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Yafet Kesete ◽

Huruy Tesfahiwet ◽

Ghimja Fessehaye ◽

Yohana Kidane ◽

Yafet Tekle ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

School Children ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Parasitic Infections ◽

School Students ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Intestinal Parasitic Infections ◽

Intestinal Parasitosis ◽

Prevalence Of Anemia

AbstractBackgroundIntestinal parasitic infections, anemia, and malnutrition are very endemic in resource-limited regions. School-aged children are at greater risk for the disease than any other age group as they are more susceptible to parasitosis, associated undergrowth and anemia. This study is aimed at evaluating the risk factors of intestinal parasitosis, malnutrition and anemia amongst elementary and junior school students in Ghindae area, Eritrea.MethodsA cross sectional study was conducted in 6 schools around Ghindae from February to April 2018. 450 children were randomly selected for analysis and consent was taken from guardians. The pertinent sociodemographic data was collected and anthropometric measurements were carried out to determine the proportion of students with malnutrition, stunting and thinness. Fecal samples were examined by formal concentration technique and blood specimen was collected for the assessment of hemoglobin using hemocue analyzer.ResultsThe overall prevalence of intestinal parasitosis was 45.3%. Protozoa infections (38.2%) were more prevalent than soil-transmitted helminthes infections (10.4%). The presence of different intestinal parasitic infections has statistically significant association with the residence area, washing habits, source of water, types of schools and type of latrine used with (p < 0.05). The prevalence of malnutrition was 37.1% with 18.5% stunting and 21.2% thinness. Malnutrition was in higher prevalence in semi-urban areas outside Ghindae. Students from Embatkala and Dongolo had 4.77 and 2.86 times higher odds of having low BMI for age than their counterpart respectively. The current prevalence of anemia was 12.4%, out of which, 7.6 % had mild while 4.4% of them had moderate anemia and 0.4% were severely anemic.ConclusionThe prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections, especially, protozoan infection was very high in the school children. Stunting was increased rate in rural areas around Ghindae. The prevalence of anemia was regarded as mild health burden. The high prevalence of parasitic infections in these children indicates that the protozoa and helminthes concerned are very common in the environment of these area and results of the risk factors analysis suggest that the transmission is from several routes. Access to clean water and latrines, with some hygiene and sanitation communication activities, in addition to introduction of micronutrient programs could improve health of children in that area.

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Prevalence of Intestinal Parasitic Infections and Associated Factors Among Street Children in Jimma Town in 2019: A Cross Sectional Study

10.21203/rs.2.15526/v2 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Sabit Zenu Siraj ◽

Eshetu Alemayehu ◽

Kifle Woldemichael

Keyword(s):

Intestinal Parasites ◽

Street Children ◽

Parasitic Infection ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Parasitic Infections ◽

Intestinal Parasitic Infection ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Intestinal Parasitic Infections ◽

Jimma Town

Abstract Background Street child is any child whose age is less than 18 years for whom the street has become his or her habitual abode and/or source of livelihood, is inadequately protected, supervised or directed by responsible adults. In Ethiopia the health problems of street children are given poor attention in research. This problem is pronounced when it comes to intestinal parasitic infections . The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections and associated factors among street children in Jimma town in the year 2019. Methods and Materials: Community based cross sectional study was employed. Complete enumeration was used to include 312 street children. Pretested questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data was entered to Epidata version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 20. Stool samples were examined by wet mount and formalin ether concentration techniques. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with intestinal parasitic infection. Significance of association was decided by using the 95% confidence interval of AOR and P-value of ≤ 0.05 in the multivariable model. Result: A total of 312 children of the street were involved in the study making the response rate 96.2%. The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection was 66.7%. Untrimmed finger nails AOR=2.03;95%CI (1.02-4.06), eating street food AOR=2.24;95% CI (1.04-5.02), practice of swimming in unprotected water bodies AOR=2.5; 95% CI (1.24-5.04), not wearing shoes at the time of data collection AOR= 3.8;95% CI (1.8-8.2) and lacking knowledge of way of transmission of intestinal parasites AOR= 2.5; 95% CI (1.25- 5.0) were significantly associated with parasitic infections. Conclusion and Recommendations: The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among street children in the study area was high and require integrated interventions to avert the problem. Factors like untrimmed finger nails, swimming practice, eating street foods, shoe wearing and lacking knowledge of ways of transmission of intestinal parasitic infections are associated with infection status. Measures has to be taken to curb the problem by including them in mass drug administration and targeted health education towards identified factors. Key words : Street children, Intestinal parasites, Jimma

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Intestinal Parasitic Infection and Its Associated Factors among Food Handlers in Ginnir Town, Bale Zone, Southeast, Ethiopia

10.21203/rs.2.23709/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Asfaw Negero ◽

Tomas Benti ◽

Solomon Taye

Keyword(s):

Associated Factors ◽

Intestinal Parasites ◽

Parasitic Infection ◽

Hand Washing ◽

Personal Hygiene ◽

Parasitic Infections ◽

Food Handlers ◽

Intestinal Parasitic Infections ◽

Intestinal Parasitosis ◽

Southeast Ethiopia

Abstract Background: Intestinal parasitic infections are the most common infections in the developing world. Globally, out of the 1.5 billion annual cases of diarrhea, about 70% or 1.05 billion cases are thought to be caused by biological contamination of food. In Ethiopia, due to poor environmental sanitation, low awareness about personal hygiene, lack of pure potable water, and improper faecal disposal, intestinal parasitic infections are highly prevalent. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and associated factors of intestinal parasitosis among food handlers working in food and drinking establishments in Ginnir town, southeast, Ethiopia.Methods: Cross-sectional study design was employed from May 1 to May 29, 2014 in food and drinking establishments in Ginnir town. A total of 348 food handlers were enrolled and stool specimens were collected, and examined using direct saline and formol-ether concentration methods. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed. A P-value <0.05 was considered as an indicator of statistical significance.Results: The overall prevalence of intestinal parasitosis among food handlers was 48/348 (13.8%) [95%, CI=6.8-20.6]. Entamoeba histolytica/dispar 23/348 (6.6%) followed by Giardia lamblia 16/348 (4.6%), Ascaris lumbricoides 7/348 (2.0%) and Strongyloides stercolaris 2/348 (0.6%) were the detected parasites. Moreover, amongst positives for intestinal parasites, comparable proportions of parasites were detected in males (52%) and females (48%). Habit of eating raw/under cooked vegetables (p=0.00; aOR=2.60; 95%, CI=1.94-8.67), hand washing habit before eating (p=0.03; aOR=1.22; 95%, CI=1.01-3.89), hand washing habit after visiting toilet (p=0.01; aOR=2.85; 95%, CI=2.06-8.31), hand washing habit before food preparation (p=0.02; aOR=1.85; 95%, CI=1.27-4.34) and poor personal hygiene (p=0.00; aOR=3.39; 95%, CI=1.51-10.23) were factors associated with intestinal parasitic infections.Conclusions: The prevalence of intestinal parasitosis among food handlers was relatively low. Though the prevalence was low; regular medical check-up, training and health education on safe food handling and processing should be given to all food handlers.

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Prevalence of intestinal parasitosis and associated factors among the elderly

Revista Brasileira de Geriatria e Gerontologia ◽

10.1590/1981-22562017020.160137 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 20 (2) ◽

pp. 244-253 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Patrícia Honório Silva Santos ◽

Rita de Cássia Santos Barros ◽

Kátia Virgínia Galvão Gomes ◽

Adriana Alves Nery ◽

Cezar Augusto Casotti

Keyword(s):

Associated Factors ◽

Intestinal Parasites ◽

The Elderly ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Parasitic Infections ◽

Sociodemographic Characteristics ◽

Elderly Persons ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Intestinal Parasitic Infections ◽

Intestinal Parasitosis

Abstract Objective: To identify the prevalence of intestinal parasitosis and associated factors in elderly persons resident in the community. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed involving 236 elderly persons in Aiquara, in the state of Bahia, Brazil, in 2015. Data were collected through a coprological survey and a questionnaire for information relating to sociodemographic characteristics, health and lifestyle. The presence of parasites in stools was verified by the Hoffman method. Results: The prevalence of intestinal parasites among the elderly was 30.5%. Among infected elderly persons, 26.3% had monoparasitism, 3.8% biparasitism and 0.4% polyparasitism. There was a predominance of protozoa (80.8%) over helminths (19.2%). The most prevalent parasites were Entamoeba coli (44.6%); Endolimax nana (21.7%) and Iodamoeba bütschlii (14.5%). In the population studied, the independent variables analyzed were not associated (p>0.05) with the presence of intestinal parasites. Conclusion: the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in elderly people living in the urban area of the municipal region of Aiquara, Bahia, was high and there was no association between intestinal parasites and sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle or health.

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Prevalence of parasitic infections in HIV-positive patients in southern Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries ◽

10.3855/jidc.2906 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 7 (11) ◽

pp. 868-872 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Sintayehu Fekadu ◽

Kefyalew Taye ◽

Wondu Teshome ◽

Solomon Asnake

Keyword(s):

Chronic Diarrhea ◽

Intestinal Parasites ◽

Parasitic Infection ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Parasitic Infections ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Aids Patients ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Intestinal Parasitic Infections ◽

Hiv Aids

Introduction: Intestinal parasitic infectionsare a major public health burden in tropical countries. Although all HIV/AIDS patients are susceptible to parasitic infections, those having lower immune status are at greater risk. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in patients living with HIV/AIDS. Methodology: This was a facility-based cross-sectional study. A total of 343 consecutively sampled HIV/AIDS patients from the HIV care clinic of Hawassa University Referral Hospital were included. Subjects were interviewed for demographic variables and diarrheal symptoms using structured questionnaires. Stool examinations and CD4 cells counts were also performed. Results: The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection was 47.8% among HIV/AIDS patients; single helminthic infection prevalence (22.7%) was higher than that the prevalence of protozoal infections (14.6%). About 54% of study participants had chronic diarrhea while 3.4% had acute diarrhea. The prevalence of intestinal parasites in patients with chronic diarrhea was significantly higher than in acute diarrhea (p <0.05). Non-opportunistic intestinal parasite infections such as Ascaris lumbricoides, Taenia spp., and hookworm were commonlyfound, regardless of immunestatus or diarrheal symptoms. Opportunistic and non-opportunistic intestinal parasitic infection were more frequent in patients with a CD4 count of <200/mm3 (OR=9.5; 95% CI: 4.64-19.47) when compared with patients with CD4 counts of >=500 cells/mm3. Conclusions: Intestinal parasitic infections should be suspected in HIV/AIDS-infected patients with advanced disease presenting with chronic diarrhea. Patients with low CD4 counts should be examined critically for intestinal parasites, regardless of diarrheal status.

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Child health and nutrition in the Western Brazilian Amazon: population-based surveys in two counties in Acre State

Cadernos de Saúde Pública ◽

10.1590/s0102-311x2007000600004 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 23 (6) ◽

pp. 1283-1293 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Pascoal Torres Muniz ◽

Teresa Gontijo de Castro ◽

Thiago Santos de Araújo ◽

Nara Barros Nunes ◽

Mônica da Silva-Nunes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Iron Deficiency ◽

Intestinal Parasites ◽

Parasitic Infection ◽

Brazilian Amazon ◽

Population Based ◽

Parasitic Infections ◽

Prevalence Rates ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Low Weight

The article presents prevalence rates for malnutrition, intestinal parasitic infections, anemia, and iron deficiency in under-five children in a population-based cross-sectional survey performed in the urban area of two counties in the Western Brazilian Amazon, Assis Brasil (n = 200) and Acrelandia (n = 477). Available data included: (a) weight and height measurements, standardized as z-scores using the 1977 NCHS reference population, (b) diagnosis of current intestinal parasitic infection, (c) blood hemoglobin levels, and (d) plasma ferritin and soluble transferrin receptor levels. Overall prevalence rates of low weight-for-height, low weight-for-age, and low height-for-age were 3.7%, 8.7%, and 7.5%, respectively, with similar figures in the two towns. Intestinal parasites were detected in 32.5% children; helminths were uncommon. Anemia and iron deficiency were diagnosed in 30.6% and 43.5% of the children, respectively. Evidence of anemia was found in only 47.6% of the children with depleted iron reserves, indicating that hemoglobin measurement alone would severely underestimate the magnitude of iron deficiency in this population. In both towns, anemia and malnutrition were significantly more prevalent among children in the lowest socioeconomic stratum.

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