Prevalência de enteroparasitoses em uma comunidade carente de Fortaleza - CE : comparação entre duas décadas

Abstract

In the 1990’s, copro-parasitological questionnaires were conducted with families of poor communities in Fortaleza-CE by the Parasitology Sector of the Pathology and Legal Medicine Department of Universidade Federal do Ceará. Recent studies in the same community show a clear change in intestinal parasitosis prevalence, however, without identifying the nature and importance of the interventions that occurred there. This present research assessed the current prevalence of intestinal parasites in that community and analyzed the factors that might have contributed to promote changes in the prevalence and that had a reflection on the health of the population. Home visits were made in Panamericano neighborhood, with interviews (semi-structured questionnaires) with those in charge for the families to obtain the sanitary and socio-economical data, and fecal samples were collected from children (from 0 through 12) for parasitological exams. Comparative analyses have been made through the same methods between the two periods: prior (1992-1996) and posterior (2010) to sanitary interventions. The results were found: in 1992-1996 (n=367), 16% of exams tested negative and 84% tested positive with Ascaris lumbricoides-53,7%, Trichuris trichiura-45,5%, hookworms-7,4%, Strongiloydes stercoralis-8,4%, Enterobius vermicularis – 2,5%, Hymenolepis nana – 12,5 %, Schistosoma mansoni – 0,5%, Giardia duodenalis – 22,1%, Entamoeba histolytica / E. dispar – 9,3%. The visits and interviews revealed sanitary and socio-economical features that favored the high prevalence of intestinal parasites. In 2010, 75% (354) tested negative and 25% tested positive with A. lumbricoides – 13,6%, T. trichiura – 9,3%, G. duodenalis – 4%, E. histolytica / dispar – 3%. The current time has lower prevalence and an improvement in the sanitary and socio-economical features in the community, with a correct destination to waste and an enhancement in water treatment and supply with lower exposal of children to intestinal parasites. So, we conclude that the improvement of sanitary conditions in the neighborhood reflect a clear change in the prevalence of intestinal parasites.