Prevalence of intestinal parasites among children from 0.6 to 4 years at CMEI Edileusa Maria Pulquerio Vieira, Buriti de Goiás, Brazil, 2019

Abstract

Intestinal parasitosis represent a serious public health problem in Brazil and worldwide. Endoparasites affect children especially in the preschool and school years, jeopardizing development and learning. This cross-sectional work aimed to evaluate the prevalence of enteroparasitoses by analyzing fecal samples from 45 children and 13 employees regularly enrolled at CMEI Edileusa Maria Pulquerio Vieira, in Buriti de Goiás, Goiás, Brazil. An epidemiological, anthropometric and nutritional assessment, as well as social and environmental conditions were also carried out. It was observed that 24.45% of children samples were positive for intestinal parasites, especially male children (30.44%) and aged between 1 and 2 years (44.45%). Giardia lamblia cysts were observed with higher prevalence for male children (63.63%), and polyparasitism in the samples of female children, being Entamoeba coli cysts the second to be found. Concerning to employees, 23.08% were positive for Giardia lamblia and Endolimax nana, with inhomogeneous distribution among age groups. Sociodemographic and sanitation data showed all individuals lived in the urban area of Buriti de Goiás, in brick houses and 88.88% with paved streets. Everyone had access to treated water, stored this water mostly in tanks (95.55%), 72.42% filtered the drinking water in clay filters and all dispensed biological waste in sanitary cesspits. Parents had heterogeneous education. However, most attended elementary school (35.55%). And, about children's nutritional status, no case of malnutrition or obesity were detected. All analyzes p