Abstract
In order to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium and other intestinal parasites, a household sample survey of children under 5 years old was carried out during the late dry season in 8 rural villages in southern Guinea-Bissau, West Africa. Cryptosporidium oocysts were found in 10 of 270 stool samples (3·7%), using a safranin-methylene blue staining method. Of these 10 children (age range 5–16 months), all non-Muslims, 6 had diarrhoea, giving a prevalence of 12·5% in 48 children with diarrhoea, compared with 1·8% in children without diarrhoea ( P<0·001). The ethnic group with the highest prevalence (9·2%) also kept most domestic animals, and was the only group to keep cattle. Giardia lamblia was found in 16 children, and the overall prevalences of other enteric parasites were: hookworm, 21·7%; Strongyloides stercoralis, 7·4%; Ascaris lumbricoides, 6·9%; Trichuris trichiura, 4·4%; Entamoeba histolytica, 1·5%; and Taenia sp., 0·5%. The prevalence of cryptosporidiosis was highest in the age group 7–12 months, while for the other parasites it was highest in the oldest children. The prevalence of hookwork was highest (c. 50%) in the southernmost villages. No significant relationship was found between hookworm infection and anaemia.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
