Quantitative Stool Examinations Research Articles

COCCIDIOSIS IN BROILER CHICKEN CAUSED BY EIMERIA TENELLA

Coccidiosis is one of the most important diseases that attack the poultry industry. This disease is an intestinal disease caused by protozoan parasites from the genus Eimeria. The aim of this case report was to establish a diagnosis of mortality in a broiler chicken aged 21 days. The broiler chicken was obtained from a poultry in Kubu, Bangli Regency, Bali with a population of 12.000 broiler chickens. The number of sick chickens was 145 and 37 diede with the same symptomps within seven days. Based on these data, epidemiological data were obtainded which consisted of 1,20% morbidity; 0,30% mortality; and 25,51% case fatality rate (CFR). The broiler chicken was obtained from a poultry in Kubu, Bangli Regency, Bali with a population of 12.000 broiler chickens. The number of sick chickens was 145 and 37 diede with the same symptomps within seven days. Based on these data, epidemiological data were obtainded which consisted of 1,20% morbidity; 0,30% mortality; and 25,51% case fatality rate (CFR). The chicken was taken to the Veterinary Pathology Laboratory for necropsy. Pathological changes are seen in the hemorrhagic intestine and the hemorrhagic cecum dan mucosal erosin. Furthermore, changes in the histopathology of the cecum include hemorrhage, necrosis, and inflammatory cell infiltration. In addition, the schizont stage was also found. The finding of schizont generation in the cecum indicates coccidiosis infection in chickens. Then, qualitative and quantitative stool examination was carried out. Qualitative examination was carried out using native, sedimentation and buoyancy methods. Quantitative examination with the Mc.Master method to determine the intensity of infection. The results of the qualitative examination found oocysts and oocysts that had sporulated. While quantitatively obtained the number of oocysts as much as 18750/gram. Based on clinical symptoms, blood smear examination, changes in anatomical pathology, histopathology, and stool examination, it can be concluded that case chickens have coccidiosis caused by Eimeria tenella. It is necessary to conduct further studies regarding the assistance of Eimeria spp. in broiler chickens.

Prevalence of Endoparasites in Urban Stray Dogs from Brazil Diagnosed with Leishmania, with Potential for Human Zoonoses.

In tropical environments, abandoned animals can be an important source for human zoonotic infections, such as human visceral leishmaniasis and other vector-borne diseases. Here, we report the frequency of protozoan and helminth intestinal parasites in stray dogs, which might have an implication for human health in urban Brazilian settings. We performed necropsies on 93 animals, euthanized due to canine visceral leishmaniasis control program, and examined their intestines looking for the presence of helminths; we determined the parasite load, and the elimination of eggs and cysts of protozoan parasites in fecal samples. Further, we performed serology tests for the detection of specific antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii. Overall, a high prevalence of intestinal parasites with potential for human zoonoses resulted and only 8.6% of examined intestinesremained negative. The most prevalent helminths were Ancylostoma caninum and Dipylidium caninum. For nematodes, high worm burdens were detected for A. caninum and Trichuris vulpis. Additionally, we analyzed worm burdens and quantitative stool examinations, but found no significant association between positive serology for Leishmania infection and intestinal parasite burden. Interestingly, serology for T. gondii infection revealed a prevalence of 33.3% and a positive result was significantly associated with a higher A. caninum adult worm recovery (p = 0.0087). Our results showed stray dogs living in urban areas are heavily parasitized, which presents a potential risk for humans. Beyond the control of canine visceral leishmaniasis, we propose an improvement of the controlprogram to reduce the risk for other parasiticdiseases in dogs and humans.

The unreliability of the Kato-Katz technique limits its usefulness for evaluating S. mansoni infections.

The Kato-Katz technique, a (semi) quantitative stool examination technique, is generally recommended for diagnosis and evaluation of Schistosoma mansoni infection by schistosome experts. However, egg counts are subject to important variability. In order to quantify the reproducibility of egg counts using the Kato-Katz technique, field data of 1255 observations on 299 subjects infected with Schistosoma mansoni were analysed. Agreement between repeated observations was assessed both categorically (kappa statistic) and continuously (analysis of variance). The day-to-day variation of egg counts was much greater than the variation due to different observers or different slides. The quantitative reproducibility was low: the weighted kappa statistic was 0.39 between specimens of different days, 0.62 between slides of the same specimen and 0.81 between observers of the same slide. Therefore the classification of individual patients into groups based on egg counts, used as a measure of morbidity, must be interpreted with great care, especially in longitudinal studies. Usefulness of the Kato-Katz technique appears limited. Its reproducibility is low. It cannot be recommended as a routine test in a primary health care setting or in a hospital laboratory because safety and detection of other parasites are better assured by other techniques. It can be used in epidemiological studies and evaluation of schistosomiasis control programmes, but here too, other techniques might be preferred.

Occurrence of a community with high morbidity associated with Schistosoma mansoni infection regardless of low infection intensity in north-east Brazil

To establish the relationship between schistosome-associated morbidity and infection intensity in north-east Brazil, a parasitological and ultrasonographical study was carried out on 484 inhabitants of 4 villages (I, II, III and IV) in São Lourenço da Mata, Pernambuco, Brazil, where schistosomiasis is endemic. Quantitative stool examination using Knight's method demonstrated a high prevalence and moderate intensity of Schistosoma mansoni infection, and also that the subjects in village IV had a significantly lower prevalence and intensity of infection than those of the other villages. By ultrasonography, periportal fibrosis (PPF) and splenomegaly were found in 52% of the 299 infected subjects and 66% of the 146 infected subjects aged over 16 years old, respectively; 32% and 31% of the 299 infected subjects had abnormally high values of total bile acid (TBA) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, respectively. Liver and spleen size, PPF, and serum level of TBA and ALP were not correlated with infection intensity. There was no significant difference in the morbidity assessed by liver and spleen size, PPF, and serum analysis between the subjects in village IV and the other villages. These findings suggest the occurrence of a community with high morbidity associated with schistosomiasis regardless of low infection intensity.

Strongylaides cf. fuelleborni and hookworm in Papua New Guinea: patterns of infection within the community

The results of quantitative stool examinations from a large number of rural Papua New Guineans permitted the establishment of age-prevalence and age-intensity profiles and frequency distributions of both Strongyloides cf. fuelleborni and hookworm. Strongyloides exhibited a unique age-prevalence profile which originated at about 40% in the youngest age group, rose to a maximum in those 4–5 years old, and then declined. The intensity of infection reached its peak in 12 month olds before declining. The frequency distribution of Strongyloides egg counts was markedly over-dispersed: k values were below 0·1 for most age groups. Both prevalence and intensity of infection curves for hookworm followed similar patterns, which were typical for the parasite, rising to a maximum at about age 9 years, and then forming a plateau. The distribution of hookworm egg counts was less over-dispersed than that of Strongyloides, the k values rising until about 10 years of age and then remaining stable with a value of about 0·7. With both parasites there was little difference in prevalence or intensity of infection between the sexes, although adult males tended to have higher levels for both quantities.

Reinfection with Ascaris lumbricoides after chemotherapy: a comparative study in three villages with varying sanitation

This study examined the effect of the 2 major means of control of Ascaris lumbricoides—chemotherapy and sanitation. About 200 pre-school Caribbean children living in 3 villages with varying sanitation were studied by quantitative stool examination for the presence of the eggs of helminths. Children with Ascaris eggs were treated with piperazine. Over a 2-year period this procedure was repeated after every 6 months of natural re-infection. Results showed that (i) the rate of reinfection was on average 20% higher than the rate of new infection; (ii) there was a highly significant correlation between the result of children's initial stool examination and that 6 months later; (iii) children with high Ascaris egg counts also frequently had high Trichuris egg counts; (iv) during the 6-month intervals, 36% of the infected children were not reinfected after treatment; the difference in reinfection rates between villages with and without sanitation was 48%. Regression analysis indicated that, after several socio-economic variables were controlled, only sanitation and crowding remained significantly associated with reinfection. The implications of these findings in formulating control strategies are discussed.

Evaluation of a Special Program for the Control of Schistosomiasis in the State of Paraíba, Brazil

Foi feita uma tentativa de avaliação do Programa Especial de Controle da Esquistossomose (PECE) do Ministério da Saúde do Brasil, desenvolvido pela SUCAM no Estado da Paraíba, a partir de 1976. Foram tomadas como base as 5 primeiras avaliações do Programa de 1978 a 1983 e posteriormente em 1984/85 realizados exames quantitativos de fezes em uma amostra de 9.155 indivíduos e exame clínico em 1.036 positivos, em 3 municípios selecionados nas principais regiões hidrográficas, onde o programa vem sendo realizado. As 5 primeiras avaliações realizadas pela SUCAM de 1978 a 1983 nos 47 municípios trabalhados, 23 na região do Mamanguape, 18 na região do Paraíba, 5 na região Litoral Sul e um na região do Curimataú, demonstraram uma queda da prevalência média inicial da esquistossomose de 28% para 4,9% na região do Mamanguape, de 20,9% para 5,9% na região do Paraíba, de 40,2%para 18,9% na região Litoral Sul e de 4,9para 1,4% na região do Curimataú. Em nível de localidade, entretanto, permaneciam com prevalência igual ou superiora 20%, 36(10,9%) das 329 avaliadas na região do Mamanguape, 40(13,6%) das 293 na região do Paraíba e 43 (47,2%) das 91 da região Litoral Sul. Nos municípios tomados como amostra para exame clínico e quantitativo de fezes no ano de 1985 verificou-se que em Cuitegi, na região do Mamanguape, dos 3.494 examinados 154 (4,4%) eliminavam em média 123 ovos de S. mansoni por grama de fezes, nenhum tinha a forma hepatoesplênica e 20(12,9%) tinham fígado palpável. Em Mari, na região do Paraíba, dos 3.735 examinados 410 (10,9%) estavam positivos eliminando em média 165,9 ovos de S. mansoni por grama de fezes; apenas um (0,24%) tinha a forma hepatoesplênica e 48 (11,7%) tinham fígado palpável. Em Alhandra, na região Litoral Sul, dos 1.926 examinados 472 (24,5%) eliminavam em média 115,4 ovos de S. mansoni por grama de fezes, 3,6% eram hepatoesplênicos e 81 (17,1%) tinham fígado palpável. Em estudo anterior realizado na sede desse município em 1979, 24,2% da população era positiva, eliminando em média 211 ovos de S. mansoni por grama de fezes, 2,4% tinham a forma hepatoesplênica e apenas 3% tinham fígado palpável.

Seroepidemiology of schistosomiasis japonica by ELISA in the Philippines. II. Unreliability of stool examination in the measurement of incidence.

It was shown in a previous study that a single quantitative stool examination (by technics currently used in the Philippines) is so sensitive that it underestimated by 50% the prevalence of schistosomiasis japonica in children detected by a single serologic assay (ELISA). This paper proves that measurement of incidence of the infection among these same children by stool examination is unreliable as well. Three important sources of error in the measurement of incidence by stool examination are: (a) the inclusion of already infected children in the group of presumably uninfected children in which conversion (change from negative to positive) is being measured; (b) the insensitivity of stool examination in identifying those who do acquire infection among the initially uninfected; and (c) spontaneous, possibly temporary, stool reversion. An overestimation of incidence results from error (a) because already infected children have 5-7 times the tendency to convert than do uninfected children; error (b) tends to produce an underestimation of incidence since stool examination will detect only about one-half of the children who do become infected; while error (c) also tends to cause an underestimation of incidence and is dependent on the frequency of stool examinations--34% of the conversions observed by multiple examinations may not be detected in a single year-end examination. The equivalent sources of error are insignificant when ELISA is employed to measure incidence. In the 3 years of observation, the annual incidence of schistosomiasis japonica measured by ELISA showed no significant change (13.5%, 16.7%, and 15.6%); on the other hand, the annual incidence measured by stool examination showed a significant reduction from 37.5% down to 16.0% and 15.1%. Significant sources of error invalidate measurements by stool examination; it is therefore concluded that incidence measurements have failed to produce acceptable evidence of reduction in transmission in the area of study in the 3 years of control operations. We believe that insistence on relying almost exclusively on the parasitologic technic can result in an erroneous evaluation of the control program currently being implemented.

Survival of Schistosoma mansoni in the human host: estimates from a community-based prospective study in Puerto Rico.

Changes over time in the prevalence and intensity of Schistosoma mansoni infection were measured by serial quantitative stool examinations using the modified Ritchie concentration technique in a 9-year prospective study of an endemic Puerto Rican community with a population of about 1,000 persons. The complete interruption of transmission was achieved by snail control during the 2nd year of the study, in February 1973. Annual stool specimens were obtained from all willing community residents. In addition, from 27 of these residents 10 consecutive stools were collected in each of 3 years: 1973, 1976, 1977. After a chemotherapy campaign with oxamniquine in 1980, only eight of these 27 persons remained untreated. Ten consecutive stools were collected from seven of these untreated individuals in 1981. We calculated the rate of decline (beta) in geometric mean egg count in the cohort of 27 over 5 years and in the subcohort of seven over 9 years. Similarly, beta was calculated from the change in the single annual stool counts in 528 persons providing data for all of the first 6 years of the study. Estimates of the average life-span (-1/beta, in a model assuming constant rate of death) of the adult S. mansoni with 95% confidence intervals are for the cohort of 27, 5.5 years (4.0 to 9.1), for the cohort of seven, 37 years (8.0 to infinity), and and for the cohort of 528, 35 years (16 to infinity).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Immunologic diagnosis of schistosomiasis. 3. The effects of nutritional status and infection intensity on intradermal test results in St. Lucian children.

The question of the insensitivity of immediate and delayed skin testing in children was studied with respect to both nutritional status and intensity of infection. Ninety-seven children on the island of St. Lucia, 5 to 11 years of age, with almost equal male: female distribution, all excreting eggs of Schistosoma mansoni were tested as follows: qualitative and quantitative stool examinations; anthropometric measurements (height, weight, mid-arm circumference and triceps skinfold thickness); hematocrit; fluorescent antibody test; and skin tests with control material, S. mansoni adult worm antigen (both Puerto Rican and St. Lucian strains), and intermediate strength PPD tuberculin. The anthropometric measurements revealed marginal malnutrition among the children. The overall positive intradermal response rate for each of the two antigens was similar, being 56% for the immediate and 37% for the delayed test. There was no relationship discernible between relative over- and under-nutrition and the skin test responses. A striking and highly significant positive association was revealed, however, between the intensity of infection, as shown by quantitative egg counts, and the sensitivity and extent of both the immediate and delayed skin test reactions.