Prevalence of intestinal parasites among schoolchildren and household sanitation in the urban area of Caxias do Sul, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

• Autor(a) principal: Camello, Jéssica Tadiello
• Data de Publicação: 2016
• Outros Autores: Cavagnolli, Natália Inês, Dalla Santa Spada, Patrícia K. W., Poeta, Julia, Rodrigues, Adriana Dalpicolli
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Scientia Medica (Porto Alegre. Online)
• Texto Completo: https://revistaseletronicas.pucrs.br/scientiamedica/article/view/21716
• topic: parasites; intestinal parasites; child; student; basic sanitation; urban sanitation.; parasitas; parasitoses intestinais; crianças; escolares; saneamento básico; saneamento urbano.

Aims: To evaluate the prevalence of intestinal parasites among schoolchildren from Caxias do Sul, State of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil, associating it with household sanitation and with family members’ self-reported knowledge about parasites.Methods: Children aged 5 to 13 years attending local elementary schools in the urban area of Caxias do Sul, including the outskirts and downtown area, were included in the study. The samples were processed by spontaneous sedimentation  and analyzed microscopically. The children’s legal representatives answered a questionnaire on socioeconomic conditions and sanitation as well as on their knowledge about parasitic infections.Results: The sample included 257 schoolchildren with a mean age of 8.7±1.3 years, most of whom were female (58%). Of the analyzed stool samples, 5.8% were positive for parasitic cysts: Endolimax nana (60%), Entamoeba coli (26.7%), and Giardia lamblia (13.3%). Regarding living conditions, 99.2% of the schoolchildren had access to treated water, 94.6% said they had sewage collection and treatment in their households, and 99.2% reported having garbage collection. As to legal representatives’ knowledge about parasitic infections, 74.7% knew what they were and 67.3% knew about their modes of transmission. However, 49.8% considered the information to be insufficient.Conclusions: This study revealed a low prevalence of parasitic infections in schoolchildren and favorable sanitation in their households. A high frequency of antiparasitic drug use without previous diagnosis by stool examination was reported.