Levantamento de enteroparasitoses em escolares do município de Acari - RN.

Abstract

Intestinal parasitism is a major public health problem in Brazil, mainly because of its connection with the degree of malnutrition among populations, reaching essentially the physical, psychosomatic and social development of school. The goal of the work was to undertake a coproparasitological inquiry and to do a socioeconomic and hygienic profile in in 83 children enrolled in a school in the municipality of Acari/RN. For both stool samples were collected and processed by the method of spontaneous sedimentation and a semi-structured questionnaire was administered with the guardians. The data were analyzed using the statistic program SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). To check statistical association between the variables in the questionnaire and the presence of parasitic infection, it was used the Qui-quadrado test (x2), considering p <0.05 statistically significant. It was not observed statiscally significant association between the degree of parasitism and the variables of gender, age, education manager and knowledge about parasites. At least, the presence of one parasite specie was observed in 37% of the stool samples. The most prevalent species were Endolimax nana, Iodamoeba butschilli, Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar, Giardia lamblia, and hookworm. According to the questionnaires it was found that the most affected children come from families with low monthly income, however the sanitary conditions of households were considered good. Respondents reported receiving a public water supply, have weekly garbage collection and sewage have said. After going to the bathroom, the children said they had the habit of washing hands and walk barefoot at least once a day. The coproparasitogical study in this municipality will be an extremely important tool for providing a place parasitological survey that will serve as a guide to conduct and treatment of the infected children, as well as contribute to the development of prophylactic measures in the community.