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Prevalence of intestinal parasites in rural Southern Indians
Author(s) -
Kang Gagandeep,
Mathew Mary S.,
Prasanna Rajan D.,
Daniel Jasper D.,
Mathan Minnie M.,
Mathan V. I.,
Muliyil J. P.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
tropical medicine and international health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1365-3156
pISSN - 1360-2276
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-3156.1998.00175.x
Subject(s) - geography , helminths , medicine , biology , veterinary medicine , zoology
objective To determine the prevalence of intestinal protozoal and helminthic infection in a rural population. method Seventy‐eight members of 15 families from a village were studied. Stool samples from all subjects were examined on alternate days for one month. results The overall prevalence rate of various parasitic infections was 97.4%, with only 2 of 78 subjects not excreting parasites in any of their 15 samples. Eighteen (23.1%) persons had only one type of parasite, while 58 (74.3%) excreted multiple parasites. Giardia and Cryptosporidium were the commonest protozoan infections, affecting 42/78 (53.8%) and 31/78 (39.7%), respectively. Hookworm infestations were the commonest helminthic infections, seen in 48/78 (61.5%). Based on excretion patterns, the asymptomatic individuals could be divided into 2 groups of infrequent and frequent excretors, indicating that the host response may determine the level of parasite replication in the gut.