Socio-demographic influences on the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among workers in Qatar.

BACKGROUND: The rapid growth of Qatar in the last two decades has been associated with an enormous expansion of building programs in its cities and in the provision of new service industries. This in turn has attracted a large influx of immigrant workers seeking employment in jobs associated with food handling, domestic service, and the building industry. Many of these immigrants come from countries in the tropics and subtropics where intestinal parasitic infections are common. In this study, we explored the environmental and socio-demographic characteristics of immigrant workers in Doha Qatar, which might explain the persistence of the parasites that they harbor. METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional survey was conducted among 2486 newly arrived immigrant workers and those who visited Qatar previously during the period 2012-2014. Through questionnaires and census data, we characterized the socio-demographic conditions at an individual, family, and neighborhood levels. RESULTS: Overall, the prevalence of combined protozoan infection was 11.7% and that of helminth was 7.0%. Combined protozoan infections were significantly associated with immigrant workers arriving in Doha for the first time. In univariate log-linear statistical models fitted in phase 1 of the analysis, significant associations were observed between the prevalence of combined protozoan infections and personal and familial factors that included religion, the level of education of subjects, both parents' educational levels and their jobs, and the number of siblings. Furthermore, environmental effects on the prevalence of protozoan infections including the country of origin, the floor of the house, toilet type, household content index, provision of household water, farming background showed strong associations with protozoan infections. However, in phase 2, multifactorial binary logistic generalized linear models focusing only on the significant effects identified in phase 1, showed that only five factors retained significance (age class, floor of the house, household contents index, father's education, and the number of siblings). The only factors that had a significant effect on the prevalence of helminth infections were the subjects' age class and the mother's educational level. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of intestinal protozoan parasites among immigrant workers in Qatar is clearly multifactorial in origin determined by key familial relationships of subjects and also the environment, in which the subjects lived prior to their arrival in Qatar. Moreover, our results suggest that screening protocols for applicants for visas/work permits need to be revised giving more careful attention to the intestinal protozoan infections that potential immigrant workers may harbor.

Trends and seasonal patterns in intestinal parasites diagnosed in primary health facilities in Northwest Ethiopia.

INTRODUCTION: Intestinal parasites have an insidious impact on human health. In response to high parasite frequencies in Northwest Ethiopia, mass drug administration (MDA) is provided for school children using albendazole/mebendazole (since 2007) and praziquantel (since 2015). The study objective was to assess trends and seasonal patterns of intestinal parasite infections in a context of MDA. METHODOLOGY: This was a descriptive study collecting routine data from laboratory registers in two health centres in Denbia district, Amhara region. Stool test results (wet-mount direct microscopy) from patients attending these centres between 2013 and 2018 were included. Frequencies of different parasite species were evaluated within and across the years and stratified by age and gender. RESULTS: From a total of 8002 stool test results, the overall parasite frequency was 53.3%; this proportion remained constant. The most frequently diagnosed soil-transmitted helminths (STH) were Ascaris lumbricoides (16.9%) and hookworm (3.9%). STH frequency varied over the years, but was similar at the beginning (20.0%) and the end (22.0%) of the six-year period. STH infections were more frequent in winter (December-February; 20.4%) than in other seasons (16.0%). The most frequently diagnosed protozoa were Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (18.5%) and Giardia lamblia (12.2%). The frequency of Giardia steadily increased from 9.6% in 2013 to 15.3% in 2018. E. histolytica/dispar peaked in summer and G. lamblia in autumn. CONCLUSIONS: Trends in routine laboratories may be a proxy for a status quo in the community. These findings suggest that higher MDA coverages and/or interventions beyond MDA are needed to reduce intestinal parasite-related morbidity.

Retrospective survey of endoparasitism identified in feces of client-owned dogs in North America from 2007 through 2018.

Our main study objective was to determine the prevalence and trend of parasitic infection in client-owned dogs examined at the veterinary parasitology diagnostic laboratory of Oklahoma State University over the past 12 years. All results of centrifugal flotation, saline direct smear, sedimentation, Baermann, acid-fast staining for Cryptosporidium detection, and Giardia antigen examinations on fecal samples from client-owned dogs submitted to the Boren Veterinary Medical Hospital and Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory of Oklahoma State University from 2007 through 2018 were included. The impact of sex, age, and seasonality on the prevalence of parasitic infection was also statistically evaluated. A total of 7,409 cases were included for this study. Majority of cases (79.58%; 5,896/7,409) did not include any parasites, eggs, larva, oocysts, or cysts. Approximately 15.41% (1,142/7,409) of client-owned dogs were infected by at least one parasite, and 5.01% (371/7,409) of dogs were infected by multiple parasites. The most common parasite stage observed was Ancylostoma eggs (8.23%; 610/7,409), followed by Cystoisospora oocysts (5.02%; 372/7,409), Giardia cysts/antigen (4.06%; 301/7,409), Trichuris vulpis eggs (2.74%; 203/7,409), Toxocara canis eggs (2.54%; 188/7,409), Dipylidium caninum proglottids/egg packets (0.84%; 62/7,409), taeniid proglottids/eggs (0.47%; 35/7,409), Sarcocystis sporocysts (0.38%; 28/7,409), Cryptosporidium oocysts (0.30%; 22/7,409), Strongyloides stercoralis larvae (0.20%; 15/7,409), Alaria eggs (0.19%; 14/7,409), Toxascaris leonina eggs (0.18%; 13/7,409), Capillaria eggs (0.16%; 12/7,409), Hammondia-like small coccidian oocysts (0.16%; 12/7,409), Uncinaria stenocephala eggs (0.13%; 10/7,409), Spirometra eggs (0.09%; 7/7,409), Physaloptera eggs (0.09%; 7/7,409), Heterobilharzia americana eggs (0.08%; 6/7,409), Nanophyetus salmincola eggs (0.08%; 6/7,409), trichomonads (0.08%; 6/7,409), Mesocestoides proglottids/eggs (0.05%; 4/7,409), Baylisascaris eggs (0.01%; 1/7,409), Macracanthorhynchus eggs (0.01%; 1/7,409), and Paragonimus kellicotti eggs (0.01%; 1/7,409). In addition to endoparasites, some ectoparasites, such as Demodex mites (0.22%; 16/7,409), Otodectes cynotis mites (0.01%; 1/7,409), Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks (0.01%; 1/7,409), and Sarcoptes scabiei mites (0.01%; 1/7,409), were detected by fecal examinations. Pseudo/spurious parasites were identified in approximately 4.35% of cases (322/7,409). There was no statistically significant difference for parasite prevalence between sexes (p = 0.3231). However, statistically significant differences were observed with certain parasites when compared by age groups, and generally, prevalence of parasitism decreased as age of client-owned dogs increased (p < 0.0001). Statistical analyses also revealed significant differences by months (p = 0.0013). Overall, the prevalence of parasitic infection in client-owned dogs decreased over the past 12 years (p < 0.0001).

Parasitic Infections in Children with Disability in Resource Poor Settings: The Research Gaps.

The burden of parasitic infections among children with disability in resource-poor settings has not been summarised through a focused review. Here, we have summarised the key studies reporting the burden of parasitic infections among children without and with a disability. In most instances, among children without disability, Giardia or soil-transmitted helminths dominate the epidemiology, while among disabled individuals, enteric protozoa are the predominant parasites to be reported in both resource-rich and resource-poor countries. Cryptosporidium is generally the leading protozoan to be detected among these populations but all other parasites have been detected in varying frequencies. There is a paucity of data on the precise epidemiology of parasitic infections in children with disability. A large-scale epidemiological study, using modern genomic methodology, is a research priority.

Intestinal parasites at the Late Bronze Age settlement of Must Farm, in the fens of East Anglia, UK (9th century B.C.E.).

Little is known about the types of intestinal parasites that infected people living in prehistoric Britain. The Late Bronze Age archaeological site of Must Farm was a pile-dwelling settlement located in a wetland, consisting of stilted timber structures constructed over a slow-moving freshwater channel. At excavation, sediment samples were collected from occupation deposits around the timber structures. Fifteen coprolites were also hand-recovered from the occupation deposits; four were identified as human and seven as canine, using fecal lipid biomarkers. Digital light microscopy was used to identify preserved helminth eggs in the sediment and coprolites. Eggs of fish tapeworm (Diphyllobothrium latum and Diphyllobothrium dendriticum), Echinostoma sp., giant kidney worm (Dioctophyma renale), probable pig whipworm (Trichuris suis) and Capillaria sp. were found. This is the earliest evidence for fish tapeworm, Echinostoma worm, Capillaria worm and the giant kidney worm so far identified in Britain. It appears that the wetland environment of the settlement contributed to establishing parasite diversity and put the inhabitants at risk of infection by helminth species spread by eating raw fish, frogs or molluscs that flourish in freshwater aquatic environments, conversely the wetland may also have protected them from infection by certain geohelminths.

PREVALENCE, RISK FACTORS AND SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED TO INTESTINAL PARASITE INFECTIONS AMONG PATIENTS WITH GASTROINTESTINAL DISORDERS IN NAHAVAND, WESTERN IRAN.

We studied the prevalence of intestinal parasites (IPs), their risk factors and associated symptoms among patients with gastrointestinal disorders. A total of 1,301 participants aged 22 days-90 years were enrolled in this study. We used a structured questionnaire to obtain socio-demographic and stool examination to investigate intestinal parasite infections. Data analysis was performed using SPSS16. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasites (IPs) was 32.2% (419/1,301). Three hundred and fifty nine cases/1,301 (27.6%) were infected with a single parasite and 60/1,301 cases (4.6%) presented polyparasitism. The most common IP was Blastocystis sp. 350/1,301 (26.9%), followed by Entamoeba coli 38/1,301 (2.92%), Giardia lamblia 30/1,301 (2.3%) and Cryptosporidium spp. 17/1,301 (1.3%). Regarding the socio-demographic variables, educational status (p = 0.001), contact with domestic animals and soil (p = 0.02), age above 15 years (p = 0.001) and seasons (p = 0.001) were significantly associated to intestinal parasitic infections. Concerning clinical characteristics, the presence of IPs was significantly associated to diarrhea (OR = 1.57; CI 95% = 1.24-1.98; p < 0.001) and dysentery (OR = 1.94; CI 95% = 1.03-3.66; p < 0.04). Our findings suggest that IPs are one of the main causal agents of gastrointestinal disorders. Improving the knowledge on local risk factors such as poverty, low level of education, poor sanitation, contact with soil and contact with domestic animal is warranted.

HIGH PREVALENCE OF Blastocystis spp. INFECTION IN CHILDREN AND STAFF MEMBERS ATTENDING PUBLIC URBAN SCHOOLS IN SÃO PAULO STATE, BRAZIL.

After a gastroenteritis outbreak of unknown etiology in the municipality of Sebastião da Grama, São Paulo, Brazil, we conducted a parasitological survey to establish the epidemiological profile of enteroparasitosis in children and staff members attending the public urban schools in operation in town. The cross-sectional study evaluated 172 children aged 11 months to 6 years old and 33 staff members aged 19 to 58 years old. Overall, 96 (55.81%) children and 20 (60.61%) staff members were mono-parasitized, while 58 (33.72%) children and 4 (12.12%) workers were poly-parasitized. Protozoa (88.37%; 72.73%) was more prevalent than helminthes (3.48%; 0%) in children and staff members respectively.Blastocystis spp. was the most prevalent parasite in children (86.63%) and staff members (66.67%). The age of 1 year old or less was found to be associated with increased prevalence of giardiasis [OR = 13.04; 95%CI 2.89-58.91; p = 0.00] and public garbage collection was identified as a protective factor against intestinal helminth infections [OR = 0.06; 95%CI 0.00-0.79; p = 0.03]. Although most of the children tested positive for Blastocystis spp. and also presented clinical signs/symptoms (62.2%), this association was not statistically significant [OR = 1.35; 95%CI 0.53-3.44; p = 0.51]. Intestinal parasites still represent a public health concern and this study underscores the importance of further investigations to better understand the pathogenic role of Blastocystis spp.

Evaluación del estado del Hierro y la Vitamina A en niños de la etnia Warao del estado Sucre, Venezuela / Assessing ofIronand Vitamin A status in children of Warao ethnic group of Sucre state in Venezuela

El propósito del estudio fue evaluar el estado del hierro y la vitamina A, en niños de la etnia Warao, perteneciente a las comunidades de María López y Los Barrancos, del estado Sucre. Se evaluó el consumo de alimentos,indicadores bioquímicos y antropométricos a 64 niños Warao en edades comprendidas entre los 3 y 10 años. Se encontró una adecuación deficiente del consumo de hierroen 56,8%,la mayoría provino defuentes no hem: cereales (37,8%), harina de maíz precocida fortificada (33,47%), harina de trigo (2,72%) y casabe (32,98%); el hierro hémico provino de pescados (37,49%). Se presentó déficit en la adecuación del consumo de la vitamina A en 97,3%, las fuentes fueron cereales (harina de maíz precocida), huevos y lácteos. El diagnóstico nutricional antropométrico por combinación de indicadores de dimensión corporal, arrojó que el 75,0% se encuentra en normalidad. Para los estudios bioquímicos: el 93,76% tiene deficiencia de retinol; 40,63% deficiencia severa. El 100% y 70,3% presentó niveles normales de hierro y ferritina sérica, respectivamente. La concentración de hemoglobina, reveló 70,3% de anemia. Existe prevalencia de 92,45% de parasitosis intestinal (Trichuristrichura, Ascarislumbricoides y Ancylostomideos). Se observaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas de niveles séricos de ferritina y asociaciones parasitarias. La alta prevalencia de anemia, deficiencia de vitamina A y parasitosis, indican la existencia de un déficit nutricional en cuanto al hierro y la vitamina A, que puede deberse a la baja disponibilidad de alimentos, el consumo insuficiente de nutrientes y un aprovechamiento biológico disminuido.

The purpose of this study was to assess the iron and vitamin A status in children of Warao ethnic group, belonging to communitiesMaríaLópez and Los Barrancos in Sucre State. We evaluated food intake, anthropometric and biochemical markers in 64 Warao children with ages between 3 and 10 years. A deficient consumption of iron was found in 56,8%, most from non-heme sources: cereals (37,8%), corn flour fortified (33,47%), wheat flour (2,72%) andcasabe (32,98%);heme iron came from fish(37,49%).In the intake of vitamin A the deficit was presented in97,3%,sources were cereals (corn flour fortified), eggs and dairy. The anthropometric-nutritional diagnosis by combination of body dimension indicators showed that 75.0% is in normality.For biochemical studies: 93.76% has retinol deficiency;40,63% severe deficiency. The 100% and 70.3% had normal levels of serum iron and ferritin, respectively. The hemoglobin concentration revealed 70.3% of anemia. There was a high prevalence (92,45%) of intestinal parasitosis (Trichuristrichura, Ascarislumbricoides y Ancylostomideos). There were statistically significant differences in serum ferritin and parasitic associations.The high prevalence of anemia, vitamin A deficiency and parasitosis,indicate the existence of nutritional deficit in iron and vitamin A,which may be due to the low availability of food, insufficient consumption of nutrients and biological utilization decreased.

[Investigation of intestinal parasites in students of Mustafa Cengiz primary school in Van]. / Van mustafa cengiz ilkögretim okulu ögrencilerinde bagirsak parazitlerinin arastirilmasi

Intestinal parasites still maintain as a major public health problem in our country. In this study, we aimed to investigate the distribution of intestinal parasites in 1st and 2nd grade students of Mustafa Cengiz Primary School, aged between 7-9 and to contribute to the parasitological data of our province. For this purpose, stool examinations of a total of 195 students, including 82 boys and 113 girls, were performed. The results of the microscopic analysis of stool samples revealed one or more parasites in a total of 117 (60%) samples including 45 male students (54.8%) and 72 female students (63.7%). The diagnosed parasites and their ratios in children were; Giardia intestinalis 36.4%, Entamoeba coli 17.9%, Blastocystis hominis 14.4%, Hymenolepis nana 10.8%, Chilomastix mesnili 3.6%, Ascaris lumbricoides 2.6%, Entamoeba hartmanni 1.5%, Trichuris trichiura 1%, Iodamoeba butschlii 0.5%, Retortamonas intestinalis 0.5% ve Endolimax nana 0.5%, respectively. From 117 positive samples for parasites, only one parasite was found in 71 (60.7%), and more than one parasites were found in 46 (39.3%). As a result, parasitic infectious diseases still maintain its importance in our region. We conclude that incidence of parasitic infectious diseases will be reduced with education about personal hygiene and improvement of physical conditions.

Visceral helminths of wild boars (Sus scrofa leucomystax) in Japan, with special reference to a new species of the genus Morgascaridia Inglis, 1958 (Nematoda: Schneidernematidae).

Twenty-nine Japanese wild boars (Sus scrofa leucomystax), collected during the hunting seasons of 2005 and 2006 in the western part of the mainland of Japan (Honshu), were examined for their visceral helminths. Eighteen helminth parasites were prevalent in them, including 17 Nematoda species (Metastrongylus elongatus, Metastrongylus salmi, Metastrongylus asymmetricus, Metastrongylus pudendotechus, Stephanurus dentatus, Gnathostoma doloresi, Physocephalus sexulata, Ascarops strongylina, Capillaria suis, Ascaris suum, Globocephalus samoensis, Globocephalus longimucronatus, Strongyloides ransomi, Trichuris suis, Bourgelatia diducta, Oesophagostomum dentatum, and Oesophagostomum watanabei), and one Cestoda species (Pseudanoplocephala nipponensis). Muscle digestion of the diaphragm (using an artificial gastric juice) of 24 wild boars detected a single diplostomulum of probably Pharyngostomum cordatum. In addition, four female and six male adults of Morgascaridia kugii sp. n. (Nematoda: Schneidernematidae) were recovered from the large intestine of a single wild boar. Examination of an additional 20 samples of the stomach and 27 samples of the large intestine could not find this species. To date, recorded species of the genus Morgascaridia are limited to M. sellsi collected from wild boars in Uganda and Congo several decades ago, and thence, no records of the recovery are available. Morgascaridia kugii sp. n. differed from M. sellsi by smaller body dimensions, shorter distance between the precloacal sucker and the cloaca, smaller sizes of the copulatory spicules and the gubernaculum, and smaller sizes of uterine eggs.

Intestinal parasites prevalence and related factors in school children, a western city sample--Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal parasitic infections are amongst the most common infections worldwide. Epidemiological research carried out in different countries has shown that the social and economical situation of the individuals is an important cause in the prevalence of intestinal parasites. Previous studies in Turkey revealed a high prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection. The objectives of the current study were to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in Aydin among 7-14 years old school children and to identify associated socio-demographic and environmental factors, behavioral habits and also related complaints. METHODS: Multistage sampling was used in the selection of the study sample. A questionnaire, cellulose adhesive and a stool specimen examination were done. RESULTS: A total of 456 stool specimens were collected. 145 students (31.8%) were infected with one or more intestinal parasites. 29 (6.4%) of the students were infected more than one parasite, 26 (5.7%) with two parasites and 3 (0.7%) with three parasites. The three most common were E. vermicularis, G. intestinalis and E. coli. Intestinal parasite prevalence was higher in rural area, in children with less than primary school educated mother, in children who use hands for washing anal area after defecation, and in children who use toilet paper sometimes or never. The relation between child health and mother education is well known. Children were traditionally taught to wash anal area by hand. Toiler paper usage was not common and might be due to low income or just a behavioral habit also. Most of the complaints of the study population were not significantly related with the intestinal parasitic infection. CONCLUSIONS: Intestinal parasitic infection is an important public health problem in Aydin, Turkey. Rural residence, mother education less than primary school, sometimes or never usage of toilet paper, and washing anal area by hands after defecation were the significant associations. Interventions including health education on personal hygiene to the students and to the parents, especially to mothers are required. The ratio of uneducated women should be declined with specific programs. A multisectoral approach is needed.

An eco-epidemiological study of contamination of soil with infective forms of intestinal parasites.

The objectives of the present work were to screen topsoil samples collected from public squares in two cities within the Argentine Patagonia for the presence of infective forms of intestinal parasites and to examine the possible relationship between positive findings and the environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural conditions of that region. For this purpose we studied 13 public squares, their 13 custodians, and 44 family groups within their respective surrounding areas. Of the 226 topsoil samples analyzed, 44.3% proved positive for infective forms of intestinal parasites, with 17.3% of these containing more than one species. The frequency of appearance of positive samples was dependent on the season of the year (p < 0.001), while presence of the parasites was related to the soil pH (p < 0.05) but independent of the soil relative humidity (p > 0.05). Some of the organisms detected are associated with zoonoses. We observed the presence of Capillaria spp. and Spirocerca spp. under cool desert climatic conditions. Within the group of custodians we detected hematologic alterations one positive serology for toxoplasmosis and documented behavior conducive to risk of infection with the parasites found in those squares. Within the family group an acquaintance with parasitic zoonoses and their prevention was an inconsistent finding, with toxocarosis and toxoplasmosis being the diseases associated with the greatest degree of ignorance. Furthermore, we consider the failure to de-parasitize pets and the practice of feeding them with raw meat, as typically found in our family survey, to be factors contributing to a greater likelihood of public square contamination. From the results obtained here, we propose a spatial organization approach for the purpose of detecting zones at risk of contracting zoonotic parasitoses within urban environments.

Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infestation in schoolchildren in the northeastern part of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal.

This paper presents the status of intestinal parasitosis in public schoolchildren (1 to 10 classes) in a rural area of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. A total of 533 schoolchildren (269 girls and 264 boys, aged 4 to 19 years) were included in this study. A questionnaire was filled out regarding hygienic and other habits, including factors predisposing to parasitic infections. Fecal samples from the children were examined by formol-ether concentration technique. The overall prevalence of parasitosis was 66.6% (395/533) with no significant difference between boys and girls (p> 0.05). Tibeto-Burman children had a non-significant higher prevalence, compared with Indo-Aryan and Dalit children (p>0.05). Half (53.8%; 191/355) of the children had multiple parasitic infections. Altogether, nine types of parasites were recovered. The recovery rate of helminths was higher (76.9%) than protozoa (23.1%). Trichuris trichiura was the most common helminth detected, followed by hookworm, Ascaris lumbricoides and others. Entamoeba coli was the most common protozoan parasite, followed by E. histolytica, Giardia lamblia and others.

Survey for intestinal parasites in Belize, Central America.

A stool survey was carried out in 5 villages in the Toledo district of the Central American country of Belize. Eighty-two percent of a total population of 672 participated. The stools were examined by the formalin-ethyl-acetate concentration technique. Sixty-six percent of the population was found to have one or more intestinal parasites. The most common infection was hookworm (55%) followed by Ascaris lumbricoides (30%), Entamoeba coli (21%), Trichuris trichiura (19%), Giardia lamblia (12%), Iodamoeba beutschlii (9%), and Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (6%). Other parasites found were Entamoeba hartmani, Strongyloides stercoralis, Endolimax nana, Isospora belli, and Chilomastix mesnili. Children were more often infected than adults and more females had hookworm infections. Sixty percent of 111 households surveyed had dirt floors, 43% were without toilets, 35% of the houses were overcrowded, and 10% obtained drinking water from streams. Cross-tabulation and logistic regression analyses were used to identify risk and protective factors associated with parasitoses. The risk factors were: being in the Mayan Ketchi population group, and abtaining housework and drinking water from streams. Protective factors were: drinking treated water and the wearing of shoes.

Anemia in remote interior communities in Sarawak, Malaysia.

A cross-sectional survey of 365 individuals, (51.9% males, 48.1% females; ages 5-85 years), from five remote interior communities in upper Rejang River basin Sarawak, Malaysia, found 24.4% were anemic. The range and mean of Hb concentration in male and female were: 7.2-17.0 mg/ml and 13.7 mg/ml and 7.9-15.7 mg/ml and 12.9 mg/ml respectively. Amongst the five tribes surveyed, the prevalence of anemia (range: 10.6-46.7%), was higher among the Penans (46.7%), Kenyahs (31.1%), Kajangs (27.8%) and Kayans (19.3%), than amongst the Ukits (10.6%). Anemia is more common among males >40 years and among adolescents and young reproductive females, as well as elderly females > 61 years old. Of the 83 anemic individuals, 6.0% and 3.6% had Trichuris trichiura or hookworm respectively; however there is no clear association with intestinal worm infection.

Intestinal parasitic infection among five interior communities at upper Rejang River, Sarawak, Malaysia.

Intestinal parasitic infection among five interior communities at Bakun Valley, upper Rejang River, Sarawak, Malaysia, was investigated as part of a public health impact assessment of the proposed US$ 3 billion Bakun Hydroelectric Project. Coproparasitological examination of 355 stool samples from 7 of 16 villages representing 5 of 7 tribes in the area revealed infection rate of 41%. A higher infection rate was found among the settled Kayans (56%) than the seminomadic Penans (29%). Infection rate was high (68%) among children less than 14 years old. Trichuris trichiura accounted for more than 90% of all infections; less common were Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworms and Strongyloides stercoralis. Polyparasitism was found in 8% of the individuals surveyed with dual infection due to T. trichiura and A. lumbricoides being more common than dual infection with T. trichiura and hookworm. Women had higher infection rates (57%) than men (33%).

[Some aspects of the immune response of Polish Wrzosówka sheep against gastrointestinal nematodes infection]. / Wybrane parametry odpowiedzi immunologicznej owiec rasy Wrzosówka przeciw inwazji nicieni zoladkowo-jelitowych.

The paper presents different aspects of natural gastrointestinal nematode infection in this primitive, prolific Polish Wrzosówka breed of sheep. The study was carried out on the flock located at the farm run by Warsaw Agricultural University at Zelazna (central Poland) in 1995-1998. Egg counts per gram of faeces, larval differentiation, total white blood cell counts, blood eosinophil counts, interleukin-5 concentration, lymphocyte blastogenic activity and IgG immune response were discussed. The egg counts were overdispersed and followed a different pattern each grazing season. The larvae obtained from faecal culture belonged to 6 categories: Trichostrongylus spp., Haemonchus contortus, Teladorsagia spp., Cooperia spp., Chabertia ovina/Oesophagostomum spp. and Nematodirus spp. However there were no discernible patterns in the composition of nematode population over time. Data analyses have shown that egg counts, eosinophil counts, IL-5 concentration and IgG level in different months each year were repeatable. The results obtained in two divergent groups of sheep, chosen for consistently low or high faecal egg counts have been presented also. Polish Wrzosówka breed of sheep is under conservation breeding program based mainly on the markers of breed standard. The results obtained in this study revealed that some parasitological, haematological and immunological parameters should be added to this program.