Prevalence of Intestinal Coccidia and Microsporidia in an Indigenous Community, State of Zulia, Venezuela

• Main Authors: Zulbey Rivero, Angela Bracho, Karen Huerta, Ismael Uribe, Jorelys González
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Spanish
• Published: Universidad del Zulia,Facultad de Medicina,Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Tropicales 2013
• Subjects: Coccidios; Microsporidios; Indígenas; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/162196b076414234933013cb0521f797

In order to determine the prevalence of intestinal coccidia and microsporidia, fecal samples from individuals of an indigenous community in Perijá, State of Zulia, Venezuela, were studied. One-hundred seventy-two (172) fecal sam ples from people of both genders between 1 month and 86 years of age were subjected to macroscopic and microscopic examination with physiological saline, Lugol and formalin-ether concentration. Only 145 underwent Kinyoun and gram-chromotrope stains. The following species were identified: Cystoisospora belli in 3 individuals (2.07%); Cryptosporidium spp. in 2 cases (1.38%); Cyclosporacayetanensis in 1 case (0.69%); and microsporidia spores in 5 people (3.45%). Most of those infected with coccidia and intestinal microsporidia (9/11) had associations with other parasitic species, mainly protozoa. A high percentage (54.54%) of the coccidian and microsporidia carriers provided samples of diarrheal and liquid consistency with mucus and were persons included in risk groups (children and elderly). Re sults emphasize the need fordiagnosis by special stains for intestinal coccidia and microsporidia, even inimmuno competent and low-risk individuals, such as the indigenous studied.