RESUMO
The growth status and intestinal parasitic infections among a group of children displaced by war in Sri Lanka was investigated. There was a high prevalence of growth retardation (wasting, stunting and underweight being 41%, 28% and 69.9%, respectively) and intestinal parasitic infections (40.2%) among the study population. Provision of adequate food, purified drinking water, sanitation and broad-spectrum anthelmintics is recommended.
Assuntos
Crescimento , Enteropatias Parasitárias , Refugiados , Adolescente , Animais , Antropometria , Estatura , Peso Corporal , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Feminino , Helmintíase/epidemiologia , Helmintíase/parasitologia , Humanos , Enteropatias Parasitárias/epidemiologia , Enteropatias Parasitárias/parasitologia , Masculino , Estado Nutricional , Contagem de Ovos de Parasitas , Infecções por Protozoários/epidemiologia , Infecções por Protozoários/parasitologia , Sri Lanka/epidemiologiaRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To determine the occurrence and species distribution of malaria and the extent of chloroquine resistance among security forces personnel in a selected region of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. DESIGN: A descriptive study. SETTING: Mannar District in the Northern Province. METHODS: Nine hundred and seventy five security personnel were screened for malaria by microscopy. Those who were positive were treated with chloroquine and were subjected to 28 day in vivo assay to determine chloroquine resistance. In vitro microtest assay was performed to determine the response of Plasmodium falciparum isolates to chloroquine in vitro. RESULTS: Of the 975 personnel screened, 181 (18.6%) were positive for malaria. P. falciparum was the predominant species (n = 125; 69.1%). The rest were due to P. vivax (n = 42; 23.2%) and mixed infections (n = 14; 7.7%). This was an inversion of the usual species distribution pattern in the country. In vivo assay revealed 38 (53.5%) P. falciparum infections as chloroquine resistant. Fifteen of 23 (65.2%) P. falciparum isolates showed evidence of resistance in vitro. None of the P. vivax infections showed evidence of chloroquine resistance. There was no significant difference in the severity of clinical disease between chloroquine resistant and sensitive infections at first presentation. Recrudescent P. falciparum infections had significantly lower mean parasite densities as well as lower clinical scores at recrudescence than at first presentation. CONCLUSION: Results demonstrate the high prevalence of malaria and chloroquine resistance in the study area and explains several contributory factors for this. There is an urgent need to review antimalarial drug policies in Sri Lanka.