Intestinal parasites in ecotourism region of the state of Paraná, Brazil

Abstract

To determine the indices of prevalence of intestinal parasites and commensals in the residents of ecotourism region of Paraná State, a retrospective study was conducte, from January/2003 to December/2004 on 3,764 fecal parasitological examinations performed by a private laboratory of Ubiratã using the Baermann-Moraes, water-sedimentation and Willis methods. Among the individuals aged eight months to 89 years, 522 (13.9%) cases were positive. Giardia lamblia (175/522; 24.2%) was the most prevalent parasite (p<0.000). Entamoeba coli was the most common commensal, with 238/552 (32.9%) cases (p<0.000), being frequently associated with other species, either parasitic or commensal. The children of preschool age (2-6 years old) and school age (7-14 years) were mainly parasitized (66.0% of positivity; p<0.0000). More individuals harbored a single species of parasite (233; 44.6%) than had multiple species (169; 32.4%). These results indicated a significant degree of the environmental contamination in the cities of Paraná, mainly the medium- and small-sized ones, which was a cause for concern in view of the increase in ecotourism in the region.