Tungiasis in schoolchildren in Criciúma, Santa Catarina State, South Brazil Tungíase em alunos da rede municipal de ensino em Criciúma, Santa Catarina, Brasil

• Published in: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo
• Main Authors: Otenia Rosalba da Silva Damazio, Marcos Vinicius da Silva
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo (USP) 2009
• Subjects: Tunga penetrans; Tungiasis; Zoonosis; Parasitic skin disease; Public health; Brazil; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic; Tunga
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0036-46652009000200008; https://doaj.org/article/44e75a920638417582fb4324fd66a233

Tungiasis is a common parasitic skin disease in Brazil, caused by the flea Tunga penetrans. We conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate the occurrence of infestation with T. penetrans in primary schoolchildren in Criciúma, Santa Catarina State (South Brazil). In total, 917 children (6-10 years) of 68 schools were included in the study (11% of target population). Physical examination was followed by residential visits of those infested, to assess housing conditions and to interview the children's guardians. Of the 917, 15 (1.6%) children were infested with the parasite. The prevalence was twice as high in females (10 children - 2.2%) as compared to males (five children - 1.1%), but due to the low number of infested individuals, the difference was statistically not significant (p = 0.18). The mean number of lesions found was 1.4 per child. One child presented bacterial superinfection. Of the 15 children infested, 10 (66.7%) studied in schools built on pyritiferous soil. The families of 12 children (79.9%) had been living in the area in which the study was conducted for less than eight years and were considered underprivileged families with the head of the household having a low education status. We conclude that in Criciúma tungiasis occurs in primary school children, but prevalence and parasite load are low. A tungíase é doença parasitária da pele, comum no Brasil, causada pela pulga Tunga penetrans. Realizamos estudo transversal para avaliar a ocorrência da infestação por T. penetrans em crianças, da pré-escola e do ensino fundamental de primeira à quarta série da rede municipal de ensino de Criciúma, Santa Catarina, Sul do Brasil. No total, 917 crianças (6 - 10 anos) de 68 escolas foram incluídas no estudo (11% da população alvo). As crianças foram submetidas à inspeção física e nas com tungíase foi realizada visita domiciliar, para avaliar as condições da casa e para entrevista com o responsável legal da criança. Das 917, 15 (1,6%) crianças estavam parasitadas. A prevalência do parasitismo foi duas vezes ...