HIGH PREVALENCE OF Blastocystis spp. INFECTION IN CHILDREN AND STAFF MEMBERS ATTENDING PUBLIC URBAN SCHOOLS IN SÃO PAULO STATE, BRAZIL

• Published in: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo
• Main Authors: Mayra Frozoni REBOLLA, Eliete Maria SILVA, Jancarlo Ferreira GOMES, Alexandre Xavier FALCÃO, Maria Vicentina Frozoni REBOLLA, Regina Maura Bueno FRANCO
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo (USP) 2016
• Subjects: Blastocystis spp; Giardia duodenalis; Intestinal parasites; Day care centers; Children; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/S1678-9946201658031; https://doaj.org/article/fe2f9b2aa950490794cba9c7aa2cd5e3

After a gastroenteritis outbreak of unknown etiology in the municipality ofSebastião da Grama, SãoPaulo, Brazil, we conducted a parasitological survey to establish the epidemiological profile of enteroparasitosis in children and staff members attending the public urban schools in operation in town. The cross-sectional study evaluated 172 children aged 11 months to 6 years old and 33 staff members aged 19 to 58 years old. Overall, 96 (55.81%) children and 20 (60.61%) staff members were mono-parasitized, while 58 (33.72%) children and 4 (12.12%) workers were poly-parasitized. Protozoa (88.37%; 72.73%) was more prevalent than helminthes (3.48%; 0%) in children and staff members respectively.Blastocystis spp. was the most prevalent parasite in children (86.63%) and staff members (66.67%). The age of 1 year old or less was found to be associated with increased prevalence of giardiasis [OR = 13.04; 95%CI 2.89-58.91; p = 0.00] and public garbage collection was identified as a protective factor against intestinal helminth infections [OR = 0.06; 95%CI 0.00-0.79; p = 0.03]. Although most of the children tested positive for Blastocystis spp. and also presented clinical signs/symptoms (62.2%), this association was not statistically significant [OR = 1.35; 95%CI 0.53-3.44; p = 0.51]. Intestinal parasites still represent a public health concern and this study underscores the importance of further investigations to better understand the pathogenic role ofBlastocystis spp.