Use of multi-parallel real-time quantitative pcr to determine blastocystis prevalence and association with other gastrointestinal parasite infection in a rural honduran location

Abstract

To determine whether the presence of Blastocystis is associated with other gastrointestinal parasite infections, stool samples from 95 Honduran rural children were analyzed using multi-parallel quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Kato-Katz. Combined results detected the following prevalence: Blastocystis, 71.6%; Trichuris trichiura, 63.2%; Giardia lamblia, 40.0%; Ascaris lumbricoides, 15.8%; and Necator americanus, 4.2%. Agewas found associated with the quantityofboth BlastocystisDNA(rs=0.524,P<0.001) andT. trichiuraDNAin thestool (fg/μL) byquantitativePCR(rs=0.272,P< 0.001). In addition, there was an association with T. trichiura and Blastocystis infection (odds ratio [OR] = 4.72; 95% CI = 1.83, 12.20;P<0.001).Thesefindings demonstrate a high prevalence of Blastocystis and other intestinal parasites in a rural location in Honduras.