The Remarkable Frequency of Blastocystis spp. Infections Among Inhabitants of a Low Income Community of Niterói, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Screening for Blastocystis spp infections were carried out in faecal samples from 78 volunteers from a catholic institution placed at a very poor community of Niterói  The samples were evaluated through Hoffman, Pons & Janner technique and evolutive forms of enteroparasites were detecetd in 47 (60%). Blastocystis spp was the most prevalent parasite as it was found in 32 samples  (41%). Infections by protozoans like Endolimax nana, Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica /E. dispar and E. coli were also found, but in a lesser extension. Still, the was a predominance of protozoans infectiosn as few cases of helminths were detected. Briefly,  although in this study only a small sample was obtained, it reflects, somehow, that this protozoan has become very common and it is unknown what it does really represents for human health.