Frequency of enteroparasitic infections and serum positivity for Toxocara spp. in children from a public day care center in Southern Brazil.

G M S Araújo,L O Susin,M P Costa,L F C Avila,C J Scaini,D L Walcher,I F Previtali,L M Lehman

doi:10.1590/1519-6984.200952

G M S Araújo, L O Susin + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/1519-6984.200952

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Abstract

Day care centers play an important social role in children's early education and development. The objective of this study was to investigate the frequency of intestinal parasitic infections and infection with Toxocara spp. in children from a day care center in the city of Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Methods: The study was conducted using fecal samples from 50 children, ages three to six years, using Ritchie, Faust, Rugai, and Kinyoun's techniques. A closed and structured epidemiological questionnaire was used to collect data from the parents/guardians of the children. Serological studies for detection of antibodies to Toxocara spp. by immunoenzymatic assays using Toxocara excretion and secretion antigen (TES) were conducted on sera collected from 41 children. Results: The frequency of enteroparasites was 18%, with 43.9% of the children testing seropositive for Toxocara spp. Low family income and low literacy levels of parents/guardians were common factors between the families of the parasite-positive children. For the children who tested positive for Toxocara spp., most of the parents/guardians reported using only water for sanitizing raw vegetables and fruits. Conclusions: The high seropositivity rates for Toxocara spp. indicate that children were exposed to this parasite, and it is important to reduce the risk of infection. In addition, the seropositivity for enteroparasites and the interviews with the parents/guardians indicate the need to educate the studied population regarding the modes of intestinal parasite transmission and the prophylactic measures needed to prevent their dissemination.

Highlights

Day care centers play an important social role in children’s early education and development
Of the total number of enteroparasites evaluated using the techniques of Faust and Ricthie, 10% were identified as Giardia lamblia cysts, 6% were geohelminth eggs of Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura, and 2% were Enterobius vermicularis eggs
Most parents or guardians reportedly had some knowledge about major intestinal parasites, 74% said that they still lack information on the subject. The findings of this investigative study may help in understanding the epidemiology of parasitic infections of children attending day care centers, in addition to being fundamental in monitoring their health and sanitary conditions

Summary

Introduction

Day care centers play an important social role in children’s early education and development. For the children who tested positive for Toxocara spp., most of the parents/guardians reported using only water for sanitizing raw vegetables and fruits. Most epidemiological studies conducted in day care centers refer to the precarious health and living conditions of the population studied but do not report the sanitary conditions of the day care centers (Gurgel et al, 2005; Gonçalves et al, 2011) These sites have been considered important sources of intestinal parasitic infections (Silva et al, 2010; Gonçalves et al, 2011). No studies have been conducted on the prevalence of toxocariasis in day care children These children belong to an age group that has been shown to have high seroprevalence rates and are known to be more susceptible to disease development (Smith and Noordin, 2006; Magnaval et al, 2001). Consumption of uncooked or undercooked meat potentially contaminated with Toxocara spp. poses a risk of toxocariasis (Ma et al, 2018)

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