EVALUATION OF Lactobacillus Casei SHIROTA INTAKE FOR THE CONTROL OF GIARDIASIS IN CHILDREN

Abstract

Giardiasis is an important protozoan parasitic disease, one of the most widespread around the world and although commonly considered a good prognosis, it is known that children and immunocompromised patients may have considerable weight loss and suffer physical and intellectual retardation. There is a wide range of drugs with giardicidal activity, but over the years some isolates from this parasite have proved resistant to most treatments recommended, indicating the need for new strategies to control this important parasite. This research aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Lactobacillus casei Shirota for the control of giardiasis in naturally infected children. Therefore, 12 children with clinical and laboratory diagnosis of giardiasis were selected, six of them did not receive treatment and made up the control group, the other six children were given 1,6x1010 live lactobacilli daily of the species Lactobacillus casei Shirota, in a commercially available milk drink. Once the treatment began, the number of cysts shed was determined by fecal examination, using the Faust method with modifications and the consistency of the fecal samples noted. As a result, after 21 days of treatment, there was no detection of evolutive forms of Giardia duodenalis in the feces of individuals who took the milk drink as well as an improvement in stool consistency, which did not occur with the control group, demonstrating the potential for use of L. casei Shirota to control giardiasis in children.