Intestinal parasitism in a public day care center in Blumenau city (Brazil) with emphasis in Cryptosporidium spp and other protozoans

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to establish the prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp and
others parasites among infants of 0 to 6 years of age, from a public day-care center
in Blumenau, SC, Brazil, between March and May of 2006, through parasitological
examinations. The infants’ parents answered a domiciliary inquiry about sanitary
conditions and 53 fecal processed samples were evaluated by the formalin-ether
sedimentation technique; spontaneous sedimentation, a modified Ziehl-Neelsen,
and the ELISA method (TechLab?) for detection of Cryptosporidium parvum. Of
the analyzed children it was verified a prevalence of intestinal parasitism of 39,6%,
and the parasites found were: Giardia duodenalis (18,9%), Entamoeba histolytica/
Entamoeba dispar/Entamoeba hartmanni (15,1%), Cryptosporidium spp (7,6%),
Entamoeba coli (3,8%) Endolimax nana (3,8%) and Cyclospora cayetanensis
(1,9%). The methodology, modified Ziehl-Neelsen, used for sample analysis and
coloring the structures, was effective on coloring the acid-fast stain structures. The
positive cases received specific treatment and the children took part of educational
activities. Our data showed that the high rate of parasitism found reveals the necessity to adopt sanitary educational measures towards the people from that area.