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The epidemiology of cryptosporidiosis and other intestinal parasitoses in children in southern Guinea-Bissau.
- Source :
-
Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene [Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg] 1987; Vol. 81 (5), pp. 860-4. - Publication Year :
- 1987
-
Abstract
- In order to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium and other intestinal parasites, a household sample survey of children under 5 years old was carried out during the late dry season in 8 rural villages in southern Guinea-Bissau, West Africa. Cryptosporidium oocysts were found in 10 of 270 stool samples (3.7%), using a safranin-methylene blue staining method. Of these 10 children (age range 5-16 months), all non-Muslims, 6 had diarrhoea, giving a prevalence of 12.5% in 48 children with diarrhoea, compared with 1.8% in children without diarrhoea (P less than 0.001). The ethnic group with the highest prevalence (9.2%) also kept most domestic animals, and was the only group to keep cattle. Giardia lamblia was found in 16 children, and the overall prevalences of other enteric parasites were: hookworm, 21.7%; Strongyloides stercoralis, 7.4%; Ascaris lumbricoides, 6.9%; Trichuris trichiura, 4.4%; Entamoeba histolytica, 1.5%; and Taenia sp., 0.5%. The prevalence of cryptosporidiosis was highest in the age group 7-12 months, while for the other parasites it was highest in the oldest children. The prevalence of hookworm was highest (c. 50%) in the southernmost villages. No significant relationship was found between hookworm infection and anaemia.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0035-9203
- Volume :
- 81
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 3450011
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/0035-9203(87)90054-x