Intestinal Polyparasitism in a Mexican Family and Morphological Diversity of the Ascaris Lumbricoides Eggs

Abstract

Intestinal polyparasitism represents a public health problem. It is more prevalent in developing countries like Mexico and children are the most affected. It has been associated with several factors, including the number of family members. However, intestinal polyparasitism in the family is underestimated. After explanation of the study and informed consent, the family was invited to provide three stool samples which were analyzed by direct and concentration methods as well as methods such as Graham and Kato Katz. The prevalence of intestinal polyparasitism in the family was 100%. The protozoa and helminths identified were: Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar /Entamoeba moshkovskii, Blastocystis spp, Endolimax nana, Entamoeba coli, Ascaris lumbricoides y Enterobius vermicularis. The father and one of the children presented 6 parasites. The 5 year-old children presented severe infection by Ascaris lumbricoides, with 68,436 eggs per gram of faeces. Most of the participants reported more than two gastrointestinal symptoms. A morphological diversity of the Ascaris lumbricoides eggs were found in the family. The differentiation between infertile eggs of this helminth and detritus transcends for a reliable diagnosis. This case of familial intestinal polyparasitism shows the need for the timely diagnosis of intestinal parasitosis for specific treatment and the prevention of complications as well as for implementation of health education.