Premium
Intestinal parasites and bacteria in Aboriginal children in South West Australia
Author(s) -
GILL J. S.,
JONES H. I.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
journal of paediatrics and child health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.631
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1440-1754
pISSN - 1034-4810
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1754.1985.tb00122.x
Subject(s) - giardia lamblia , hymenolepis nana , medicine , campylobacter jejuni , campylobacter , demography , veterinary medicine , helminths , immunology , biology , bacteria , ascaris lumbricoides , pathology , genetics , sociology
In a study of intestinal parasites in 697 Aboriginal children under the age of 6 years in South‐west Australia, Giardia lamblia was recorded in 26% and Hymenolepis nana in 13.9%. G. lamblia infections occurred above 4 months of age, and H. nana infections above 18 months of age. There was a close correlation between infection with these two species (X 2 , P <0.001). Campylobacter jejuni , the predominant bacterial species recorded, was isolated in 2.3%, and was related to bowel symptoms in one child. G. lamblia was more prevalent in the country areas than in the Perth metropolitan area (X 2 , P <0.05. H. nana was more prevalent in children whose weight was below the third percentile (X 2 , P <0.02), and in those with diarrhoea (X 2 , P <0.01). There were strong correlations between low weight (below third percentile), a history of recent diarrhoea, and discharging ears.