Geohelminth Eggs Research Articles

INTESTINAL PARASITIC INFECTIONS AND ATOPIC DISEASES IN CHILDREN: A HOSPITAL BASED STUDY.

Different helminth parasites may have different effects on allergy depending on the timing of the exposure. A meta-analysis of many of studies reported the association between the presence of geohelminth eggs in stool samples and asthma provided some evidence for parasite-specific effects. This study evaluated the occurrence of allergy among different intestinal parasitic infected patients. A cross sectional study was carried out from June, 2013 to October, 2013 in the Pediatric Outpatient Clinic of Al-Fayoum University Hospitals among 55 children aged 2 years to 13 years. The data were collected using ISSAC questionnaire of allergy (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood) also laboratory analysis of complete blood picture, stool analysis and measurement of total serum IgE were performed for the patients. Among the patients 27 suffered from allergy and 28 had no allergic complain. Stool examinations showed Entrobius vernicularis (15), Trichostrongylus species (9), Hymenolepis nana (8), Entameba histolytica (8), Giardia lamblia (6), and mixed infections (9). The allergic group by parasitological examination 7 children (25.9%) had Entrobius vermicularis; 6 children (22.2%) Entameba histolytica; and 2 children (7.4 %) Giardia lamblia, with eosinophilic count was higher in the enterobiasis infected children than in protozoa infected ones. There were significantly high IgE levels in mixed parasitic infection (P= 0.006) and with Entrobius vermicularis infections (P=0.04). Also statistically significant difference between allergic groups by ISAAC score and the non allergic group regarding Ig E levels (P= 0.03). There was no significant difference between numbers of children with allergy and those without allergy among different parasitic infections. However, a marked significant association between the allergy and parasitic infected children was not declaimed.

Rural environmental pollution by canine geohelminths eggs with zoonotic potential (Teleorman, Romania)

Rural environmental pollution by canine geohelminths eggs with zoonotic potential (Teleorman, Romania)

Risk of soil-transmitted helminth infections on agritourism farms in central and eastern Poland.

Agritourism provides ecological tourist services for urban dwellers in rural areas. Agritourism farms offer space and attractive scenery for people seeking to rest in quiet place and wanting healthy, outdoor recreational activities. The high epidemiological standard of agritourism farms is beneficial for the health of the farm owners and the guests. Upgraded level of the farm sanitation, also from parasitological point of view is of great importance, especially that among agritourism farms guests predominate families with small children. A field survey was carried out in 57 farms in central-eastern Poland to evaluate the environmental risk factors for geohelminth infections on agritourism farms offering tourist services for urban dwellers. Samples of soil were collected from 76 sites, i.e. yards surrounding houses, vegetable, fruit and flower gardens, playgrounds and sandpits. In addition, samples were taken from 27 public places of recreation (playgrounds at forest clearing) visited by agritourism farm guests. During visits the farms were inspected and the owners were questioned about their awareness of the threat of parasitic infections. Soil contamination with geohelminth eggs was found in 4 examined farms (7.0%), in one locality on each farm. The eggs of Toxocara spp. and Ascaris spp. were detected in single samples from 3 backyards (6.4%) and one sandpit (10.0%). In the soil samples from places of recreation outside the farms eggs of human or animal helminths were not identified. The results of this study showed that the risk of helminth infections on agritourism farms is low, since geohelminth eggs (1-3 per sample) were detected only in four samples (0.5%) among 760 collected from farms households. The farm owners must be aware of the importance of preventive measures to eliminate the environmental contamination with eggs of zoonotic soiltransmitted helminths. Special attention should be paid to the risk of intestinal parasites of cats of semi domestic behaviour migrating from neighbouring yards as well as of red foxes frequently observed in the vicinity of agritourism farms.

Prevalence of geohelminth in soil and primary school children in Panda Development Area, Karu Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

A study of geohelminthes infections among primary school children aged 8 to 13 years was conducted in four selected primary schools in Panda Development Area, Karu LGA, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Out of four hundred and eighty (480) soil samples collected from the four schools, 314 (82.63) were found to be positive for eggs of four species of geohelminthes. The geohelminthes eggs/larvae encountered during the study include; Ascaris lumbricoides with 128 (26.67%), hookworm 84 (17.50%), Strongyloides stercoralis 63 (13.13%), and Trichuris trichiura 39 (8.13%).The highest prevalence of geohelminth eggs in soil samples was recorded in Panda Primary School 100 (83.33%), followed by Gitata Primary School with 97 (80.83%), while the least prevalence rate was recorded in Tattara Primary School with infection rate of 39 (32.50%). There was a significant difference in the distribution of geohelminthes in the study-areas (p 0.05).The study concludes that provision of modern toilet facilities, school based health programme and regular early deworming of pupils will go a long way in reducing infection. Keywords : geohelminthes infection, primary school, parasites, children, Panda.

Risk of human toxocarosis in Poland due to Toxocara infection of dogs and cats.

The purpose of this paper was to present the current data on the risk of toxocarosis in humans in Poland and to give an overview of the clinical and diagnostic aspects of the disease. The number of reported clinical cases of Toxocara infection in children in Poland in medical literature has increased recently. The results of field surveys aimed to evaluate the soil contamination with geohelminth eggs conducted during the last few years showed that Toxocara is the most common zoonotic agent in urban public sites and in rural settlements. The questionnaire revealed rural inhabitants' low awareness of zoonotic parasite threats to humans. In particular parents should be advised as to what proper preventive measures to undertake to eliminate the toxocarosis risk factors for children in rural environment. Prevention of initial environment contamination with Toxocara canis and T. cati eggs, which includes proper treatment regimes to eliminate patent infections in dogs and cats and preventing pets from defecating in public areas and private households is vital. To provide the public with suitably presented information as well as pet owners with uniform recommendations, a close collaboration between veterinary and public health professionals is crucial.

Environmental Contamination by Taenia Eggs in Iringa Rural District, Tanzania

Cysticercosis and Taeniosis are global health problems with impacts on human beings and the development of the livestock industry. This study tested the presence of Taenia eggs in the soil of two villages in Iringa rural district, Tan- zania. No recognizable Taenia egg was found, though those found were difficult to identify due to absorption of the flota- tion fluid which made them dark with difficulties to see the innermost structures. In view of their sizes (30 - 40 microns in diameter) these eggs were considered to be of Taenia spp. In addition, eggs from four geo-helminth species were identi- fied namely; Ascaris lumbricoides, Schistosoma mansoni, Strongyloides stercoralis and Trichuris trichiura eggs. The fre- quency of T. trichiura was 81.97%, Ascaris lumbricoides was 8.2%, unidentified eggs 6.01%, Strongyloides stercoralis 3.3% and Schistosoma mansoni was 0.5%. The most contaminated sites were backyard with a prevalence of 30.1% fol- lowed by west disposal site (WDS) 25.7%, open defaecation area (ODA) 24.0% and the least was toilet 20.2%. About 31 (31%) samples had no eggs. The findings revealed that the environment of Izazi village was more contaminated by geo- helminth eggs (19.4%) than that of Migoli village (12.1%) and that higher moisture content in soils favors the growth, de- velopment, spread and transmission of geo-helminth eggs.

Geohelminth egg contamination of children's play areas in the city of Lodz (Poland)

The contamination of soil and sand with helminth eggs in children's play areas in Lodz (Poland) was assessed over two seasons using the flotation method with saturated sodium nitrate solution. A total of 88 samples were examined from 7 children's playgrounds from various public parks, 6 sandpits situated in school or kindergarten areas and 9 school sports fields. The differences in the number of positive samples from these sites were significant (χ2=21.83, d.f.=2 and p<0.0001). The highest rate of contamination was found in the area around sports fields. (15.7%). There was a significant difference between the frequencies of positive samples from the surface and from the deeper layers of the examined sites (χ2=11.41, d.f.=1, and p=0.0007). The average density of geohelminth eggs in 100g of soil or sand was 1.1 from sports fields, 0.4 from playgrounds and 0.07 from fenced sandpits. Throughout the study, 4 genera of nematode eggs (Toxocara, Uncinaria/Ancylostoma, Ascaris, Trichuris) and 1 genus (Cystoisospora spp.) of oocysts were detected. A total of 62 eggs were recovered, and 43.5% were fully developed to embryonated egg stages. The contamination rate was different in autumn 2010 and spring 2011, but there was no significant difference in the number of positive findings between these seasons. The helminth eggs were found in 10.9% and 7.6% of samples collected in the spring and in the autumn, respectively. The most frequently seen eggs were from Toxocara sp., which were the most prevalent in both seasons.

Contamination of the soil by eggs of geohelminths in rural areas of Lodz district (Poland)

Abstract Contamination of soil with helminth eggs in the samples of fields, kitchen gardens, yards and composts in rural areas of Lodz district (Poland) was investigated. In this study, helminth eggs were found in 60–100 % of field samples, in 20–100 % of yards samples, in 0–20 % of kitchen gardens samples and in 10–100 % of composts. The highest average density of helminth eggs in 100 g of soil was detected in composts (44.0), then fields (28.5) and yards (18.0). In samples taken from kitchen gardens the average density of eggs was 0.4/100/g of soil. The comparison of frequency of positive samples from fields, kitchen gardens and yards did not exhibit significant difference (p &gt; 0.05). The soil samples of fields contained mainly eggs of Ascaris spp. (87.7 %), less frequently Toxocara spp. (7.7 %) and Trichuris spp. (3.5 %). In samples from yards among detected eggs the most often were Toxocara spp. (73.9 %), and there were statistically significant differences in comparison with fields (7.7 %) and composts (0.3 %). The highest prevalence of eggs with moving larva was noted in yards (25.6 %), which differ statistically significantly from analogous value for fields (p &lt; 0.05) and composts (p &lt; 0.0001). These results showed a considerable infestation of soil with geohelminth eggs of the examined rural areas of Lodz district which is a potential source of antropozoonosis.

Geophagy and potential health implications: geohelminths, microbes and heavy metals

The practice of geophagy (soil-eating) is widespread among pregnant and breast-feeding women in sub-Saharan Africa. To assess some of the potential risks accompanying the consumption of geophagic material, we analysed contamination with bacteria, fungi, and geohelminths as well as heavy metals (lead, mercury and cadmium) in 88 African geophagic soil samples, which were purchased in Central, West and East Africa, Europe and the United States. Median microbial viable counts of positive samples were 440 cfu/g (maximum 120,000 cfu/g). The median metal concentrations were 40 mg/kg lead (up to 148 mg/kg), 0.05 mg/kg mercury (up to 0.64 mg/kg), and 0.055 mg/kg cadmium (maximum 0.57 mg/kg). No geohelminth eggs were found in these samples. Our results suggest that geophagic soil samples can be highly contaminated with microbes and may contain high levels of lead. Geophagy, however, is not a cause of adult helminth infection. The periodic consumption of geophagic materials at high dosages might be problematic particularly during pregnancy.

Impact of anti- Giardia and anthelminthic treatment on infant growth and intestinal permeability in rural Bangladesh: a randomised double-blind controlled study

In order to test the impact of Giardia and geohelminthic infection on infant growth faltering in Bangladesh, a randomised double-blind placebo controlled intervention of 36 weeks' duration was conducted in a rural community located 40 km northwest of Dhaka. Infants aged between 3 and 15 months were randomly assigned to either anti-Giardia and anthelminthic treatment, anti-Giardia treatment only, or a control. Weight and supine length were recorded every 4 weeks. Every 12 weeks intestinal permeability (lactulose/mannitol ratio), haemoglobin, plasma albumin, alpha-1-acid glycoprotein, IgG and Giardia-specific IgM (GSIgM) and eggs of the three common geohelminths and G. intestinalis cysts were determined. Data on 222 fully compliant infants were analysed. No significant differences in intestinal permeability, biochemical or anthropometric variables were found between the intervention groups, although there were associations between improvement in small intestinal mucosal function and better weight-for-age and weight-for-height (length) Z-scores. GSIgM titres indicated high endemicity with rapid re-infection of Giardia among infants; over 95% of infants were positive throughout the study, whereas the stool examination showed very few infants with either geohelminth eggs or Giardia cysts.

Geohelminth eggs in the soil and stool of pupils of some primary schools in Samaru, Zaria, Nigeria

Samples of soil from yards and stool from pupils in six public and private primary schools in Samaru, Zaria were examined for geohelminh eggs towards highlighting the public health significance of contaminating soil with faeces. Of the 1,120 soil and 800 stool sample examined using the ZnSO4 centrifugal floatation technique and microscopy, 12.0% and 52.0% were positive, respectively. Eggs of Ascaris sp (4.6%), Trichuris sp (4.0%) hookworm (2.8%,) Toxocara sp (0.4%), and Strongyloides sp (0.2%) were recovered from he soil. The stool samples contained eggs of Ascaris lumbricoides (9.3%) and eggs/larvae of Strongyloides stercoralis (1.5%). The prevalence in soil was not influenced by the apparent cleanliness of the environment of the private schools in contrast to the environment of the private schools in contrast to the very dirty state of the public schools (p>0.05), nor was the prevalence in the public influenced by heir sex or age (p>0.05). The wide and unrestricted spread of the prevalence/ infection is attributable to indiscriminate disposal of faeces in and around the school the yards and Samaru in general. Intervention by way of education on poor hygiene habits and coupled with legislation against indiscriminate disposal of faeces and is enforcement, is recommended. The Nigerian Journal of Parasitology Vol. 24 2003: 115-122

The role of some environmental factors in the contamination of soil with Toxocara spp. and other geohelminth eggs

Distribution of Toxocara spp. and other geohelminth eggs in the soil of different populated areas was examined and the role of earthworms and soil texture in transmission of the eggs under natural conditions in the Poznań (Poland) region was studied. Toxocara spp. (10%), Trichuris vulpis (6%), Ascaris spp. (4%) and Trichuris spp. (1%) eggs were recorded in the examined localities. Among the sites studied in this report the eggs of Toxocara spp. were much more numerous in the soil of an urban area than in rural villages and the contamination of backyards in the center of the city was the worst (61% positive samples). It appeared that apart from sandpits and playgrounds, flowerpot's soil is an uncommon source of infection for children. The relationship between soil texture and number of positive samples on the areas examined was indirect. Under natural conditions living geohelminth eggs were carried with earthworm castings from deeper layers to the surface of the ground up to at least 1 year after its contamination.

Quantitative assessment of contamination of soil by the eggs of Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura

This study used a method of retrieving eggs from soil to examine the spatial and temporal dynamics of soil contamination with geohelminth eggs. The level of soil contamination in two children's homes in Jamaica was determined before and after further soil contamination was prevented by chemotherapy. The home which had higher human infection levels also had a higher prevalence and density of eggs in soil. The spatial distribution of the eggs in soil was overdispersed in the home with higher levels of infection, and underdispersed in the other, perhaps due to the low density of eggs. At both localities, the proportion of soil samples containing eggs and the density of eggs in soil declined over a two-month period. The results suggest that geohelminth eggs are rapidly depleted from die surface of tropical soils in the absence of continuing sources of contamination.