Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T08:37:16.787Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Distribution of intestinal parasitoses in relation to environmental and sociocultural parameters in La Plata, Argentina

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2024

M.I. Gamboa
Affiliation:
Cátedra de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 1900 La Plata, Argentina
J.A. Basualdo*
Affiliation:
Cátedra de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 1900 La Plata, Argentina
M.A. Córdoba
Affiliation:
Cátedra de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 1900 La Plata, Argentina
B.C. Pezzani
Affiliation:
Cátedra de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 1900 La Plata, Argentina
M.C. Minvielle
Affiliation:
Cátedra de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 1900 La Plata, Argentina
H.B. Lahitte
Affiliation:
Cátedra de TeorÍa Antropológica y Etología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 1900 La Plata, Argentina
*
*Author for correspondence Fax: +54 221 4258987 Email: jabasua@atlas.med.unlp.edu.ar
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Environmental parameters influencing the distribution of parasite species in three neighbourhoods of differing socioeconomic conditions in La Plata, Argentina were analysed. Coproparasitological screenings were performed in children up to 14 years old from a marginal zone (100), a suburban neighbourhood (101), and an urban area (91) in 1999--2000. The presence of parasite species in environmental samples (water and soil) and the degree of association among parasite communities was documented and evaluated. The prevalence of infection in each population was 73.0%, 54.4% and 35.2%, respectively. The frequencies of helminths and pathogenic protozoa were both higher in the marginal zone, where sanitary and environmental conditions were significantly inferior compared with the other zones. The high prevalence of intestinal parasites in this infantile population was related to parasitic contamination of the soil and water sources in addition to deficient sanitary and sociocultural conditions. Calculation of an equitability index revealed that the specific richness was less equitable once socioeconomic conditions and hygienic practices were improved. This study demonstrates the need to implement management practices for the control of intestinal parasitoses in accordance with the environmental and sociocultural characteristics of a given ecosystem.

Type
Review Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2003

References

Alvarez, M.L., Wurgaft, F. ]#x0026; Salazar, M.E. (1982) Mediciones de nivel socioeconómico bajo urbano en familias con lactante desnutrido [Measuring of low socioeconomic urban level in families with emaciated suckling]. Archivos Latinoamericanos de Nutrición, Santiago de Chile 32, 650662.Google Scholar
American Public Health Association (1999) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater. 20th edn. 1200 pp. Washington DC.Google Scholar
Basualdo, J.A., Coto, C.E. & de Torres, R.A. (1996) Microbiología biomédica. 1188 pp. Argentina, Atlante SRL.Google Scholar
Bradley, D. (1991) A review of enviromental health impacts in developing country cities. World Bank/ UNDP/UNCHS programme. Report available from Health Policy Unit, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. London, WC 1E 7HT, England.Google Scholar
Brower, J. & Zar, J. (1977) Field and laboratory methods for general ecology. 194 pp. USA, W.M. Brown Company Publishers.Google Scholar
Brown, H.W. (1970) Métodos de diagnóstico. pp. 337348. Mexico, Editorial Interamericana.Google Scholar
Bundy, D.A. (1994) The global burden of intestinal nematode disease. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 88, 259261.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cifuentes, E., Blumenthal, U., Ruiz-Palacios, G., Bennett, S. ]#x0026; Pesaey, A. (1994) Escenario epidemiológico del uso agrícola del agua residual: el Valle del Mezquital, México. [Epidemiologic stage of agricultural use of sewage water: el Valle de Mezquital, México]. Salud Pública Mexicana 36, 39.Google Scholar
Cooper, P.J., Guevara, A. & Guderian, R.H. (1993) Intestinal helminthioses in Ecuador: the relationship between prevalence, genetic, and socioeconomic factors. Revista de Sociedade Brasilera de Medicina Tropical 26, 175180.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crompton, D.W. & Savioli, L. (1993) Intestinal parasitic infections and urbanization. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 71, 17.Google ScholarPubMed
Dada, B.J. & Lindquist, L. (1979) Studies of flotation techniques of the recovery of helminths eggs from soil and the prevalence of eggs of Toxocara sp. in some Kansas public places. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 174, 12081210.Google Scholar
Fager, E. (1957) Determination and analysis of recurrent groups. Ecology 38, 586595.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Feldman, R.E. ]#x0026; Guardis, M.V. (1990) Diagnóstico coproparasitológico. Fundamentos, normas, metodología, bioseguridad, control de calidad. Nueva guía práctica. [Coproparasitological diagnosis. Ground, norms, methodology, biohazard, quality control. New practice guide.] Revista de la Federación Bioquímica de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. La Plata. Argentina. 65 pp.Google Scholar
Gamboa, M.I., Kozubsky, L., Costas, M.E., Cueto Rua, E. ]#x0026; Lahitte, H.B. (1994) Estudio de la relación enteroparasitosis-ambiente en una población infantil de un barrio suburbano de La Plata. [Study of relationship between intestinal parasitoses–surroundings in children of suburban neighborhoods of La Plata]. Journal of Medical Ecology and Environmental Health 1, 121.Google Scholar
Garavelli, P.L. & Scaglione, L. (1989) Blastocystosis. An epidemiological study. Microbiologica 12, 349350.Google Scholar
Kreiter, A., Ortiguela, C., Matucheski, B., Semens, L. (2000) Parasitosis humanas en la regi]#x00F3;n andino-patagónica: recopilación de datos hospitalarios. [Human parasitoses en andino- patagónic area: compilation of hospital documents.] III Congreso Argentino de Parasitología, Mar del Plata, Argentina. pp. 430431.Google Scholar
Lahitte, H.B., Hurrel, J.A. ]#x0026; Malpartida, A. (1989) Relaciones II. Crítica y expansión de la ecología de las ideas. [Relations II. Critique and expansion of ecological notions.] Editorial Nuevo Siglo, Argentina.Google Scholar
Mason, P.R. & Patterson, B.A. (1994) Epidemiology of Hymenolepis nana infections in primary school children in urban and rural communities in Zimbawe. Journal of Parasitology 80, 245250.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Minvielle, M.C., Pezzani, B.C. & Basualdo Farjat, J.A. (1993) Frequency of finding helminth eggs in canine stool samples collected in public places in La Plata city, Argentina. Boletín Chileno de Parasitología 48, 6365.Google Scholar
Morales, G. & Arelis Pino, L. (1987) Parasitología cuantitativa. (Quantitative parasitology.). 132 pp. Venezuela, Acta Científica Venezolana.Google Scholar
Oberg, C., Biolley, M.A., Durán, V., Matamala, R. & Oxs, E. (1993) Enteroparasitosis en población ribereña del lago Villarrica, Chile. [Intestinal parasitoses in riverside population of Villarica lake, Chile.]. Boletín Chileno de arasitología 48, 812.Google Scholar
Paulin, P.C. (2000) Parasitosis Intestinales en la poblaci]#x00F3;n hospitalaria. [Intestinal parasitoses in hospital partients.] III Congreso Argentino de Pararasitología. Mar del Plata, Argentina pp. 3739.Google Scholar
Pezzani, B.C., Minvielle, M.C., De Luca, M.M., Radman, N., Iacoi, P. & Basualdo, J.A. (1995) Survey for intestinal parasites in periurban community from the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Boletín Chileno de Parasitología 51, 4245.Google Scholar
Rajeswari, B., Sinniah, B. & Hussein, H. (1994) Socioeconomic factors associated with intestinal parasites among children living in Gombak, Malaysia. Asian Pacific Journal of Public Health 7, 2125.Google ScholarPubMed
Renganathan, E., Ercole, E., Albonico, M., De Gregorio, G., Alawi, K.S., Kisumku, U.M. & Savioli, L. (1995) Evolution of operational research studies and development of a national control strategy against intestinal helminths in Pemba Island, 1988–92. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 73, 7380.Google ScholarPubMed
Velazquez, J. (2000) Protozoos ent]#x00E9;ricos en pacientes HIV positivos. [Instestinal protozoa in positive HIV patient.] Libro de Resúmenes III Jornadas de Zoonosis Microbiana y Parasitaria. La Plata, Argentina, pp. 7071.Google Scholar
Wong, M.S., Simeon, D.T., Powel, C.A. & Grantham McGregor, S.M. (1994) Geohelminth infections in school-aged children in Jamaica. West Indian Medical Journal f43, 121125.Google Scholar