A survey of intestinal parasites including associated risk factors in humans in Panama

•In Panama, a high percentage of the population live in poverty.•We developed a cross-sectional study to assess intestinal parasite prevalence.•There is a high prevalence of fecal–oral transmitted parasites in Panama, being the most frequent parasite Blastocystis hominis.•Except in the indigenous po...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Acta tropica 2015-07, Vol.147, p.54-63
Main Authors: Sandoval, Nidia R., Ríos, Nivia, Mena, Alberto, Fernández, Rigoberto, Perea, Milixa, Manzano-Román, Raúl, Santa-Quiteria, José A. Ruiz, Hernández-Gonzalez, Ana, Siles-Lucas, Mar
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Animals
Ascariasis - epidemiology
Balantidiasis - epidemiology
Blastocystis Infections - epidemiology
Child
Child, Preschool
Cities
Climate
Cross-Sectional Studies
Feces - parasitology
Female
Giardiasis - epidemiology
Helminthiasis - epidemiology
Hookworm Infections - epidemiology
Humans
Hymenolepiasis - epidemiology
Immunocompromised Host
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic - epidemiology
Intestinal parasites
Larva
Male
Microscopy
Middle Aged
Panama
Panama - epidemiology
Parasites
Population groups
Prevalence
Residence Characteristics
Risk Factors
Sanitation - statistics & numerical data
Socioeconomic Factors
Strongyloidiasis - epidemiology
Surveys and Questionnaires
Trichuriasis - epidemiology
Young Adult
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:•In Panama, a high percentage of the population live in poverty.•We developed a cross-sectional study to assess intestinal parasite prevalence.•There is a high prevalence of fecal–oral transmitted parasites in Panama, being the most frequent parasite Blastocystis hominis.•Except in the indigenous population, people between 0 and 15 years old are the most affected by intestinal parasites.•Areas with seasonal floods and lack of hygienic sanitation are risk factors for intestinal parasitism in Panama. Intestinal parasitic infections are among the most common infections worldwide, leading to illness with serious and long lasting implications in children and immunocompromised people. Transmission of intestinal parasites is more frequent in tropical and sub-tropical areas where sanitation is poor and socioeconomic conditions are deficient. Panama is a country where climate and social conditions could be reflected in a high number of people infected with intestinal parasites. The presence, prevalence, and distribution of intestinal parasites in this country have been approached to date only in very restricted areas and population groups, but the impact of intestinal parasite infections at the national level is unknown. We conducted a cross-sectional survey between 2008 and 2010 to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites across Panama. Overall, 14 municipalities in seven provinces of Panama were surveyed. The presence of eggs, cysts, and larvae was assessed by microscopy in 1123 human fecal samples using a concentration technique. A questionnaire to identify risk factors associated with the frequency of intestinal parasites in the study population was also prepared and performed. Overall, 47.4% of human samples presented parasites. Variables including community type, age group, occupation, co-presence of commensals and socioeconomic factors (use of shoes and type of sanitation) were significantly associated with intestinal parasites (p
ISSN:0001-706X
1873-6254
DOI:10.1016/j.actatropica.2015.03.024