Screening for intestinal parasites in adults from three different regions of Colombia / Tamizaje de parásitos intestinales en adultos de tres regiones de Colombia

Intestinal parasitosis (IP) is a public health problem in developing countries affecting one fourth of the global population. IP are common studied in children, ne glecting the adults that are also at high risk and source of transmission. A screening study was performed with a convenience sample in three Colombian regions: Guachené (Cauca), Quibdó (Chocó), and Urabá (Antioquia). Feces samples from 284 volunteers (older than 18 years old) were tested by microscopy to identify para site ova and cysts. The IP frequency was 14.5%, and 52.1% were males. 63.2% of the parasitized patients exhibited diarrhea, and/or abdominal pain with significant association. 39.5% had single parasitic infection and 60.5% had multiple parasites: Blastocystis hominis (63.9%), Entamoeba hystolitica/dispar (39.4%), Endolimax nana (33.3%), Ascaris lumbricoides (22.2%), Giardia lamblia (19.4%), Entamoeba coli (13.9%), Trichuris trichiura (11.1%), hookworm species (11.1%), Strongyloides stercolaris (5.6%), and Iodamoeba butschlii (2.8%). A multivariate approach was used to determine predictor factors for IP: male gender, rainwater as drinking sour ce, and feces disposal different to toilet, latrine or septic tank were positively associated with infection. This study evidences that adult population, not only children from vulnerable areas of Colombia, must have to include as a risk for intestinal parasitism.

La parasitosis intestinal (PI) es un problema de salud pública en países en desarrollo que afecta un cuarto de la población mundial. Las PI son comúnmente estudia das en niños, olvidando que los adultos están también en riesgo y a su vez pueden ser fuentes de transmisión. Se realizó un estudio de tamizaje con una muestra escogida por conveniencia en tres regiones de Colombia: Guachené (Cauca), Quibdó (Chocó) y Urabá (Antioquia). Las muestras de materia fecal de 284 voluntarios mayores de 18 años, fueron estudiadas por microscopía para identificar parásitos, huevos y quistes. La frecuencia de las PI fue del 14.5%, 52.1% de los positivos fueron hombres. 63.2% de los individuos parasitados tenían asociación significativa con diarrea, y/o dolor abdominal. 39.5% tuvieron infección por un solo parásito y 60.5% fueron positivos para varios parásitos: Blastocystis hominis (63.9%), Entamoeba hystolitica/dispar (39.4%), Endolimax nana (33.3%), Ascaris lumbricoides (22.2%), Giardia lamblia (19.4%), Entamoeba coli (13.9%), Trichuris trichiura (11.1%), Strongyloides stercolaris (5.6%), y Iodamoeba butschlii (2.8%). Se realizó un aná lisis multivariado para determinar factores predictores para PI: el género masculino, el agua lluvia para consumo, y la disposición de excretas diferente a sanitario, letrina o pozo séptico, están asociados positivamente a la PI. Este estudio evidencia que la población adulta, no solo la infantil, residentes en áreas vulnerables de Colombia, deben incluirse como población de riesgo al parasitismo intestinal.

Evaluation and Monitoring of Mycobacterium leprae Transmission in Household Contacts of Patients with Hansen's Disease in Colombia.

Leprosy in Colombia is in a stage of post elimination-since 1997, prevalence of the disease is less than 1/10000. However, the incidence of leprosy has remained stable, with 400-500 new cases reported annually, with MB leprosy representing 70% of these case and 10% having grade 2 disability. Thus, leprosy transmission is still occurring, and household contacts (HHCs) of leprosy patients are a population at high risk of contracting and suffering from the effects of the disease during their lifetime. We performed a cross-sectional study with the aim of evaluating leprosy transmission within Family Groups (FGs) from four Colombian departments: Antioquia, Bolívar, Córdoba and Sucre. This study included 159 FGs formed by 543 HHCs; 45 FGs were monitored twice, first in 2003 and again in 2012. Migration, forced displacement by violence, loss of contact with the health center and the lack of an agreement to participate in the second monitoring were the primary reasons not all FGs were tested a second time. In each HHC, a clinical examination was performed, epidemiological data recorded, the bacillary index determined, DNA was isolated for M. leprae detection by nested PCR and IgM anti-phenolic glycolipid-I (PGL-I) titers were inspected. Further, DNA from M. leprae isolates were typed and compared among FGs. Twenty-two (4.1%) of the 543 HHCs had IgM anti-PGL-I positive antibody titers, indicating infection. Nasal swabs (NS) taken from 113 HHCs were tested by RLEP PCR; 18 (16%) were positive for M. leprae DNA and two new leprosy cases were detected among the HHCs. Of the confirmed HHCs with leprosy, it was possible to genotype the bacterial strains from both the index case and their HHCs. We found that the genotype of these two strains agreed at 9 markers, showing the individuals to be infected by the same strain, indicating familiar transmission. HHCs of leprosy patients not only are a high-risk population for M. leprae infection, they can act as M. leprae carriers and therefore serve as sources for transmission and infection. Our results confirm familiar leprosy transmission and suggest that follow-up of HHCs is a good strategy for early diagnosis of leprosy and to monitor its transmission.

Leprosy Drug Resistance Surveillance in Colombia: The Experience of a Sentinel Country.

An active search for Mycobacterium leprae drug resistance was carried out, 243 multibacillary patients from endemic regions of Colombia were included from 2004 to 2013 in a surveillance program. This program was a World Health Organization initiative for drug resistance surveillance in leprosy, where Colombia is a sentinel country. M. leprae DNA from slit skin smear and/or skin biopsy samples was amplified and sequenced to identify mutations in the drug resistance determining region (DRDR) in rpoB, folP1, gyrA, and gyrB, the genes responsible for rifampicin, dapsone and ofloxacin drug-resistance, respectively. Three isolates exhibited mutations in the DRDR rpoB gene (Asp441Tyr, Ser456Leu, Ser458Met), two in the DRDR folP1 gene (Thr53Ala, Pro55Leu), and one isolate exhibited mutations in both DRDR rpoB (Ser456Met) and DRDR folP1 (Pro55Leu), suggesting multidrug resistance. One isolate had a double mutation in folP1 (Thr53Ala and Thr88Pro). Also, we detected mutations outside of DRDR that required in vivo evaluation of their association or not with drug resistance: rpoB Arg505Trp, folP1 Asp91His, Arg94Trp, and Thr88Pro, and gyrA Ala107Leu. Seventy percent of M. leprae mutations were related to drug resistance and were isolated from relapsed patients; the likelihood of relapse was significantly associated with the presence of confirmed resistance mutations (OR range 20.1-88.7, p < 0.05). Five of these relapsed patients received dapsone monotherapy as a primary treatment. In summary, the current study calls attention to M. leprae resistance in Colombia, especially the significant association between confirmed resistance mutations and relapse in leprosy patients. A high frequency of DRDR mutations for rifampicin was seen in a region where dapsone monotherapy was used extensively.

Clinical, bacteriological and immunological follow-up of household contacts of leprosy patients from a post-elimination area - Antioquia, Colombia.

Follow-up of the household contacts (HHC) of leprosy patients is still the best strategy for early detection of leprosy. HHC from a post-elimination region of Colombia studied in 2001-2002 were re-contacted in 2007. They were tested at both times by clinical examination, bacillary index (BI), PCR from a slit skin smear (SSS) and anti PGL-1 IgM titres. Thirty-two of 61 HHC (52%) were re-contacted. Nine HHC (28%) showed sero-conversion and one had a skin lesion (BI negative, nested PCR positive). Periodic evaluation of HHC can contribute to the detection of infected HHC as well as new and early leprosy cases.

Clinical, bacteriological and immunological follow-up of household contacts of leprosy patients from a post-elimination area - Antioquia, Colombia

Follow-up of the household contacts (HHC) of leprosy patients is still the best strategy for early detection of leprosy. HHC from a post-elimination region of Colombia studied in 2001-2002 were re-contacted in 2007. They were tested at both times by clinical examination, bacillary index (BI), PCR from a slit skin smear (SSS) and anti PGL-1 IgM titres. Thirty-two of 61 HHC (52 percent) were re-contacted. Nine HHC (28 percent) showed sero-conversion and one had a skin lesion (BI negative, nested PCR positive). Periodic evaluation of HHC can contribute to the detection of infected HHC as well as new and early leprosy cases.