Spread Of Parasitic Diseases Research Articles

Prevalence of diarrhoea, and associated risk factors, in children aged 0-5 years, at two hospitals in Umuahia, Abia, Nigeria

Diarrhoea is the second leading cause of infectious mor­bidity and mortality in children under five years of age. This study aimed at identifying the most common parasites and potential risk factors for diarrhoea among children 0-5 years attending Abia State Specialist hospital and Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, in south east­ern Nigeria. We used 400 faecal samples from children with diarrhoea –and 200 without– in combination with hospital-based case control and a questionnaire Stool samples were processed with direct normal saline and formal-ether sedimentation method for parasitological stud­ies. More males than females were infected in nearly all age groups in both diarrhoeal and control groups (X2=23.04, df=1, P<0.05: X2=11.52, df=1, P<0.05 respectively). Amachara had more infections (X2=0.15, df=1, P< 0.05). January had the highest rate of infection (22.5%). Main clinical features were watery depositions over 3 times a day, diarrhoea lasting for days, fever, vomiting, and dehydration. Mothers learned about the problem through health workers, television and in medical centers. Risk correlated with mother’s education, occupation, latrine type, waste water disposal, hand washing, kitchen cleaning; sources and storage of water; and bottle milk (P< 0.05).Ignorance greatly con­tributed to the spread of parasitic disease in the area: the government should improve education and other strategies to alleviate the spread of the disease..

Pet travel: the lesser known threats to UK pets

Increased pet travel, human migration and climate change are leading to the rapid spread of parasitic diseases and their vectors. This, in turn, increases the risk of pets and their owners encountering these agents while abroad and bringing them back to the UK. In addition, legal and illegal imports of dogs from continental Europe are also increasing the likelihood of novel parasites being introduced. Some of these, such as Leishmania infantum, are unlikely to establish as the UK neither possesses their vectors nor has ideal conditions for their establishment. Mosquitoes, fruit flies and ticks, however, are already common across the British Isles and can transmit a number of parasites with veterinary and zoonotic significance. The fluid nature of parasite distributions means that an increasing range of parasites need to be considered and general principals in control and biosecurity implemented. Veterinary nurses are key players in the fight to keep exotic diseases out of the UK. This article considers some of the control measures required to protect the UK and its pets as well as some of the more novel parasites that have entered the UK in travelled and imported pets.

The Parasitic Contamination of Farm Vegetables in Asadabad City, West of Iran, in 2014

Background: Consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables is a basic component of a healthy diet. Thus, the consumption of vegetables can have an important role in public health. Objectives: Because of this concern, a prevalence study of parasitic contamination was carried out on raw vegetables to estimate the human risk of parasitic infections in Asadabad city, west of Iran. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 383 samples of different vegetables were obtained randomly from 12 vegetable farms in and around Asadabad. These samples included 10 types of seasonal vegetables: coriander, radish, spring onion, leek, parsley, tarragon, savory, basil,mint, and cress. The samples were examined by two parasitologicalmethods: sedimentation and floatation techniques. Results: Parasitic contaminations were detected in 34 (8.4%) vegetable samples, including five pathogenic and two non-pathogenic parasites. The parasites identified were Giardia intestinalis (1.6%), Entamoeba coli (2.6%), Toxocara spp. (0.8%), Fasciola spp. (0.5%), Taenia spp. (0.3%), Dicrocoelium dendriticum (0.3%), and free-living larvae (2.3%). Among the infested samples, coriander was the most contaminated vegetable (15.8%). The relationship between contamination of vegetables and untreated water used on farms was significant (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The results implicate the importance of consumption of vegetables in the spread of parasitic diseases in the studied region. Thus, some basic hygiene measures should be carried out to improve public health and reduce infectious disease rates.

Benefits of fidelity: does host specialization impact nematode parasite life history and fecundity?

The range of hosts used by a parasite is influenced by macro-evolutionary processes (host switching, host-parasite co-evolution), as well as 'encounter filters' and 'compatibility filters' at the micro-evolutionary level driven by host/parasite ecology and physiology. Host specialization is hypothesized to result in trade-offs with aspects of parasite life history (e.g. reproductive output), but these have not been well studied. We used previously published data to create models examining general relationships among host specificity and important aspects of life history and reproduction for nematodes parasitizing animals. Our results indicate no general trade-off between host specificity and the average pre-patent period (time to first reproduction), female size, egg size, or fecundity of these nematodes. However, female size was positively related to egg size, fecundity, and pre-patent period. Host compatibility may thus not be the primary determinant of specificity in these parasitic nematodes if there are few apparent trade-offs with reproduction, but rather, the encounter opportunities for new host species at the micro-evolutionary level, and other processes at the macro-evolutionary level (i.e. phylogeny). Because host specificity is recognized as a key factor determining the spread of parasitic diseases understanding factors limiting host use are essential to predict future changes in parasite range and occurrence.

Intestinal parasitic infection and nutritional status among school children in Angolela, Ethiopia.

Gastrointestinal parasitic infections are most prevalent in populations with low household income, poor handling of personal and environmental sanitation, overcrowding, and limited access to clean water. We conducted this study to estimate the prevalence of parasitic infection and nutritional status, and to evaluate the extent to which the two are associated among schoolchildren in rural Ethiopia. This is a cross sectional study of 664 students aged from 6 to 19 years old from Angolela, Ethiopia. Socio-demographic information was collected using a structured questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements were taken at the time of interview. Examinations of fecal samples for helminthic and protozoan parasitic infections were performed. Logistic regression procedures were employed to evaluate the association between stunting, underweightedness, and wasting with parasitic infections. RESULTS. One-third of the participants were found to have a protozoan infection, while 7.1% were found to have a helminthic infection. Approximately 11% of the students were stunted, 19.6% were wasted, and 20.8% were underweight. Severely underweight boys were 3.88-times as likely as boys of adequate weight (odds ratio OR = 3.88, 95% confidence interval CI: 1.12-13.52) to be diagnosed with protozoan infections. Among girls, those who were severely stunted were approximately 12 times (OR = 11.84, 95%CI: 1.72-81.62) as likely to be infected with a helminthic parasite, than those who were not. Overall, there was a deficit in normal growth patterns as indicated by lower than average anthropometric measures. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS. There is a high prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections. Stunting, wasting, and underweightedness were also prevalent, and showed patterns of associations with intestinal parasitic infections. Efforts should be made to strengthen and expand school and community-based programs that promote inexpensive, though effective, practices to prevent the spread of parasitic diseases. Initiatives aimed at improving the nutritional status of school children are also needed.

Color Atlas/Text of Ophthalmic Parasitology

Apart from toxoplasmosis and the recent epidemic of Acanthamoeba keratitis, most ophthalmologists are unfamiliar with parasitic infections despite the fact that some occur frequently and are endemic in some parts of the world. However, as the authors rightly point out, increasing international travel and the influx of people from tropical countries have facilitated the spread of parasitic disease to all parts of the world. This, coupled with the epidemic of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, has made some previously uncommon infections, such as Pneumocystis carinii , common and resulted in a need for better understanding of ocular parasitology. ... probably the first ophthalmic textbook devoted exclusively to parasitic infection. Most of the standard ophthalmology textbooks and those on infectious diseases only briefly address parasitology. This is probably the first ophthalmic textbook devoted exclusively to parasitic infections. Its five sections discuss diseases caused by protozoa, nematodes, cestodes, trematodes, and arthropods and describes 30 parasitic disorders

L'extension geographique de la bilharziose a Schistosoma intercalatum en Afrique tropicale

The specificity of S. intercalatum as a cause of intestinal schistosomiasis, and the separate identity of this infection, were established by Fisher in 1934. The original geographical distribution was in Equatorial Africa (Congo, Gabon), and the classical intermediate snail host is Bulinus (Physopsis) africanus. Since 1966 there has been a spread of this infection from the original foci in the Congo and Gabon as far as Cameroun, where, between 1966 and 1969, 9 foci have been discovered. These are, in South Cameroun (3° to 6° N.) the foci of Eséka, Edea, Mbalmayo, Yaoundé, Obala and Bokito; in West Cameroun the focus of Penja (50 km. northwest of Douala); in North Cameroun the foci of Garoua (Benoué) and Maroua (Diamare). The number of cases discovered in Cameroun is now 700. Details are given of the numbers of cases found during 1966-68 in various areas of the region, the rates of infection ranging from 5.71 in Obala to 24.3% in Yaoundé Severe infections are common, particularly in young people, presumably as a result of massive infections. Treatment with niridazole is fairly satisfactory, though relapses have been observed in the absence of opportunity for reinfection. A new intermediate host, Bulinus (Pyrgophysa) forskali, has now been recognized in Cameroun and Gabon; this snail is present in practically the whole of tropical Africa. The importation of S. intercalatum into Cameroun runs parallel with the movements of infected labourers and nomadic peoples from Gabon or the Congo. Such movements are favourable to the spread of parasitic diseases. Extension within Cameroun, from the south northwards, follows the traditional nomad route from south Cameroun to the Tchad basin, across the Adamoua massif. African nomadism and the exchange of African labourers, which have followed the great increase in the facilities of transport, as well as the very wide geographical distribution of Pyrgophysa forskali and Physopsis africanus in equatorial and tropical Africa, suggest that this infection may continue to spread on a large scale. The sanitary services of the République Centrafricaine and Tchad have not discovered evidence of foci introduced from outside, but have shown that introduction is possible. We suggest that in Nigeria, the Sudan, Tanzania and Angola the situation should be studied.