Blastocystis spp. and other enteroparasites in people attending the urban ambulatory type II IPASME – Barinas

Abstract

In order to determine the prevalence of enteroparasites in the Institute of Social Welfare and Assistance of the Ministry of Education (IPASME) Barinas, a descriptive, retrospective and cross-sectional study was conducted on a total of 823 stool samples from people aged 0 to 86 years, between February and July 2011 (18,106 coproparasitoscopic and clinical fi ndings). From the total of samples evaluated by direct examination (0.85% of physiological saline, lugol,  methylene blue and Quensel) and modifi ed Kato - Katz, 37.79% were found parasitized, highlighting the pathogenic protozoa: Blastocystis spp. (21.63%), Giardia duodenalis (2.31%), Entamoeba histolytica / Entamoeba dispar (1.46%); commensal protozoa: Endolimax nana (8.02%), Entamoeba coli (4.86%) and a
lower proportion of helminths: Ascaris lumbricoides (0.04%). There were differences in relation to sex and the main groups affected were children (0 - 9 years old, Χ2 = 23,853; OR = 3,205; CI = 2,597 - 3,955) and adults 30 - 39 years  old (Χ2 = 7,551; OR = 3,243; CI = 1,743 - 6,035), due to inadequate sanitary conditions and diffi cult access to drinking water. The insistence on the dissemination, implementation and monitoring of health education and basic environmental sanitation standards for the inhabitants of the city of Barinas is necessary in order to address the problem of transmission of intestinal parasites and associated diseases.