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Results for “HELMINTH INFECTIONS”

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PubMed1994

Prevalence of intestinal parasites in rural areas of district Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

A stool survey was carried out in some of the villages of Dadraul and Bhawal Khera PHC's of district Shahjahanpur (Uttar Pradesh). Out of 381 individuals examined 111 (29.2 per cent) were found positive for one or the other intestinal parasite. Ascaris lumbricoides superseded all the parasites by showing a positivity of 17.85 percent. Other parasites found were Hookworm, Hymenolepis nana, Tapeworm, Trichuris trichiura, Enterobius vermicularis, Entamoeba histolytica, E. coli and Giardia lamblia. Parasitic load was slightly higher in females (33.59 per cent) than males (28.18 per cent). The highest positivity was encountered in the age groups between 6 to 14 years. This high prevalence of intestinal parasites may be due to the lack of awareness about personal cleanliness and hygiene and illiteracy among rural women. Majority of them had helminthic infections. It is concluded that in rural areas of district Shahjahanpur intestinal helminthic infections are more prevalent that protozoan infections.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1984

A survey of intestinal helminths among children of different social communities in Madras, India.

Approximately 500 children from five social communities in Madras, Tamilnadu, India were surveyed for intestinal helminth infection. The results of the survey indicated that the extent and degree of helminth infections vary significantly (p less than 0.001) between communities in Madras. The frequency and intensity distributions in two of the populations, the elite and the fishing communities are discussed. It is suggested that in view of the wide variability, health education should be geared toward each type of community and its specific routes of helminth dissemination rather than mass education, much of which may be useless to large segments of the general population.

Child↗

PubMed1994

Potential use of IgG2-ELISA in the diagnosis of chronic elephantiasis and IgG4-ELISA in the follow-up of microfilaraemic patients infected with Brugia malayi.

Sera from fifty subjects with different presentations of Brugian filariasis and from common soil-transmitted helminth infections were tested for specific anti-filarial IgG and its subclasses. Anti-filarial IgG, IgG1 and IgG3 showed cross-reactivities with soil-transmitted helminthic infections and no significant differences in optical densities among the various groups of filarial patients. In comparison with other groups of subjects, IgG4-ELISA of sera from microfilaraemic patients and some previously microfilaraemic patients showed a significant increase in optical density readings, while IgG2-ELISA showed elevated optical density readings in sera of patients with chronic elephantiasis. Therefore IgG2-ELISA is potentially useful in the diagnosis of brugian chronic elephantiasis while IgG4-ELISA may be beneficial for follow-up diagnosis of treated microfilaraemic patients.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Lymphocyte, antibody and cytokine responses during concurrent infections between helminths that selectively promote T-helper-1 or T-helper-2 activity.

The influence of Trichinella spiralis on infections with Trichuris muris was studied in non-responder B10.BR mice. Mice infected only with T. muris were unable to expel parasites and had many adult worms 35 days later. Infection with 300 larvae of T. spiralis, given seven or 14 (but not 28) days after T. muris, enabled mice to expel up to 90% of T. muris; expulsion of T. spiralis was not altered. Concurrently infected mice produced less T. muris-specific IgG2a antibody than mice infected with T. muris only, and showed higher proliferative responses when spleen and mesenteric lymph node cells were cultured in vitro with T. muris antigens. When T. spiralis was present mucosal mast cells were generated in T. muris-infected mice, whereas almost no mast cells were seen with only T. muris. Lymphocytes from doubly-infected mice produced significantly more interleukin 4 and 5 (IL-4, IL-5) and significantly less interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) when stimulated in vitro with Concanavalin A (Con-A) than cells from mice infected with T. muris only. These data demonstrate that B10.BR mice, which in single infections produce a Th1 response to T. muris and develop no protective immunity, can mount a protective T-helper-2 (Th2) response and expel T. muris when concurrently infected with the 'Th2-inducing' nematode T. spiralis.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Heavy schistosomiasis associated with poor short-term memory and slower reaction times in Tanzanian schoolchildren.

Cross-sectional studies of the relationship between helminth infection and cognitive function can be informative in ways that treatment studies cannot. However, interpretation of results of many previous studies has been complicated by the failure to control for many potentially confounding variables. We gave Tanzanian schoolchildren aged 9-14 a battery of 11 cognitive and three educational tests and assessed their level of helminth infection. We also took measurements of an extensive range of potentially confounding or mediating factors such as socioeconomic and educational factors, anthropometric and other biomedical measures. A total of 272 children were moderately or heavily infected with Schistosoma haematobium, hookworm or both helminth species and 117 were uninfected with either species. Multiple regression analyses, controlling for all confounding and mediating variables, revealed that children with a heavy S. haematobium infection had significantly lower scores than uninfected children on two tests of verbal short-term memory and two reaction time tasks. In one of these tests the effect was greatest for children with poor nutritional status. There was no association between infection and educational achievement, nor between moderate infection with either species of helminth and performance on the cognitive tests. We conclude that children with heavy worm burdens and poor nutritional status are most likely to suffer cognitive impairment, and the domains of verbal short-term memory and speed of information processing are those most likely to be affected.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Parasitic infections in Pemba Island school children.

Intestinal helminths, schistosomiasis and malaria have been recognised for decades to be major public health problems in Zanzibar, Tanzania. During the evaluation of the impact of the Zanzibar Helminth Control Programme, baseline parasitological data on 3,605 school children were collected in Pemba Island. Prevalence of intestinal helminth infections was 72%, 94% and 96% for Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworm, respectively. Thirty one percent of children tested positive for haematuria, a reliable indicator of urinary schistosomiasis in the study area. Malaria parasites were found in 61% of children. Hookworm infections and haematuria were more prevalent in boys. Sixty seven percent of the children were infected with all the three helminths, and 28% harboured double infection. No association was found between intestinal helminths and schistosomiasis or malaria. Children living in rural areas were more heavily infected with hookworms, schistosomiasis and malaria compared to children in towns. Results from this study provided relevant information for designing a "plan of action" for the integrated control of filariasis, intestinal helminths, malaria and schistosomiasis in Zanzibar.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

Evolution of operational research studies and development of a national control strategy against intestinal helminths in Pemba Island, 1988-92.

Intestinal helminthic infections in Pemba Island, United Republic of Tanzania, have been perceived as a public health problem for many decades. School surveys in 1988 and 1992 and a community survey in 1991 were carried out to assess the distribution of prevalence and the intensity of these infections and to define the most effective strategy for control. The prevalence of helminthic infections exceeded 85% in all the surveys, and intensity was moderate. These studies identified the high-risk age groups, high transmission areas for different parasites, and the most cost-effective anthelminthic drug. This work is an example of how existing health systems and simple analytical tools may be used to generate useful data which, in turn, are used to define suitable intervention strategies. As a result, the Ministry of Health of Zanzibar has developed a national plan for the integrated control of intestinal helminths. This plan envisages periodic mass treatment of school-age children with mebendazole (500 mg, single dose, every four months) for the control of morbidity due to Ascaris, Trichuris, and hookworms.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1986

Heligmosomoides polygyrus (Nematoda): the influence of dietary protein on the dynamics of repeated infection.

The influence of the protein component in the diet of the host on the population dynamics of gastrointestinal helminth infection was studied by using a mouse-H. polygyrus experimental model. Mice fed a 2% (by mass) protein diet ad libitum maintained body weight during the experiment, but gained weight steadily when fed a diet containing 8% (by mass) protein. When repeatedly infected with 5, 10, 20 or 40 larvae every 2 weeks, the mice fed the 2% (by mass) protein diet accumulated adult worms in direct proportion to exposure to the infective stages. Under similar infection régimes, mice fed an 8% (by mass) protein diet acquired a partly effective immunity to reinfection by the nematode. Acquired immunity was principally manifest as a reduction in the survival of adult worms, although a slight increase in the mortality rate and/or the development time of the tissue-dwelling larval phase was observed. Worm fecundity per head was significantly depressed in hosts fed the 8% protein diet. In conclusion, in these experiments it is demonstrated that the nutritional status of the host can influence the population dynamics of helminth infection.

Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena↗

PubMed1998

Prevalence of intestinal parasites in rural Southern Indians.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of intestinal protozoal and helminthic infection in a rural population. METHOD: Seventy-eight members of 15 families from a village were studied. Stool samples from all subjects were examined on alternate days for one month. RESULTS: The overall prevalence rate of various parasitic infections was 97.4%, with only 2 of 78 subjects not excreting parasites in any of their 15 samples. Eighteen (23.1%) persons had only one type of parasite, while 58 (74.3%) excreted multiple parasites. Giardia and Cryptosporidium were the commonest protozoan infections, affecting 42/78 (53.8%) and 31/78 (39.7%), respectively. Hookworm infestations were the commonest helminthic infections, seen in 48/78 (61.5%). Based on excretion patterns, the asymptomatic individuals could be divided into 2 groups of infrequent and frequent excretors, indicating that the host response may determine the level of parasite replication in the gut.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Intestinal parasitic infection and associated symptoms in children attending day care centres in Trujillo, Venezuela.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the presence of intestinal protozoan and helminth infections and their association with clinical signs and symptoms in children in Trujillo, Venezuela. METHODS: Conventional microscopic methods (thick-smear, saline and iodine solutions) were used to identify parasites in stool samples of 301 children attending day care centres. A subgroup of 45 children was evaluated clinically and parasitologically five times during a 1-month period using conventional methods and the Kinyoun acid-fast stain for Cryptosporidium identification. RESULTS: The point prevalence of protozoan infections was 21% for Giardia duodenalis, 1.0% for Entamoeba histolytica/dispar, 4% for Entamoeba coli, 16% for Blastocystis hominis, and 89% for Cryptosporidium parvum. Prevalence of helminth infection was 11% for Ascaris lumbricoides, 10% for Trichuris trichiura, 0.3% for Strongyloides stercoralis, and 1.3% for Hymenolepis nana. Over a 1-month time frame, new infections were observed at a rate of 11% for G. duodenalis, 4% for E. histolytica/dispar, 7% for A. lumbricoides, 11% for T. trichiura, 0% for S. stercoralis, and 2% for H. nana. Intestinal symptoms (diarrhoea, vomiting, gas, stomach pain, and loss of appetite) were associated with presence of one or more of C. parvum or B. hominis organisms in stool samples. CONCLUSIONS: Intestinal parasitic infections contribute significantly to the enteric disease burden experienced by this group of children. The organisms most strongly implicated by this study are common and difficult-to-treat protozoan pathogens.

Child Day Care Centers↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Are there interactions between schistosomes and intestinal nematodes?

A survey for intestinal parasites was carried out in a homogenous rice cultivation area, in which people had equal opportunities of acquiring the local endemic helminthiases, including schistosomiasis mansoni. The numbers of Schistosoma mansoni eggs excreted in faeces were counted. Infections with S. mansoni, Ascaris lumbricoides, ancylostomes and Trichuris trichiura were not randomly distributed, but were correlated, depending on the species of worms present. The S. mansoni egg counts were positively correlated with ancylostome infection but inversely correlated with A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura. Patients with schistosomiasis associated with 2 other helminth infections excreted more S. mansoni eggs than the patients with S. mansoni plus only one other helminth infection.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Infections by helminth parasites in "puyenes", Galaxias maculatus (Galaxiidae, Salmoniformes), from Southern Argentina with special reference to Tylodelphys barilochensis (Digenea, Platyhelminthes).

The occurrence of Tylodelphys barilochensis, Acanthostomoides apophalliformis, Contracaecum sp. and Camallanus corderoi infecting Galaxias maculatus ("puyenes") was quantified for the first time in Lake Nahuel Huapi, southern Argentina. T. barilochensis was recorded in this lake for the first time. The role of G. maculatus population in transmission of parasites to the salmonids is more important for Contracaecum sp. (prevalence 14-34%) and A. apophalliformis (prevalence 30-54%) than for C. corderoi (prevalence 6-8%). The absence of Diphyllobothrium spp. in samples shows that the G. maculatus population does not play any role in the life cycles of these important zoonotic parasites. The sex of the host had no effect on T. barilochensis abundance. Statistical differences in T. barilochensis abundance between "puyenes" of the same size class between sampling stations and positive correlation between prevalence of infected snails and T. barilochensis abundance in fish suggest that different stocks have been sampled. Factors influencing T. barilochensis abundance are discussed.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

Intestinal helminthiases in relation to the socioeconomic environment of Panamanian children.

A cross-sectional investigation was made into ascariasis and nutritional status in Panamanian preschool children from October 1983 to July 1984. Within this framework, an analysis was undertaken of possible relationships between a range of intestinal helminthiases and the socioeconomic status of the participants. Attention was paid to caregiver's education, parental occupation, family earnings, quality of housing and sanitation in the assessment of socioeconomic status. On this basis, strong associations were established between the socioeconomic status of the children and infection with Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworm. In general, the prevalence of single and multiple helminth infections was significantly higher in children living in housing made of wood or bamboo than in those living in housing made of concrete blocks. The same pattern applied to levels of sanitation. Ascaris lumbricoides occurred more frequently in children of mothers with the least formal education and in children living in relatively crowded conditions. Evidence was also obtained to indicate that the intensity of the intestinal helminth infections was greater in the children from the poorer environment. Since children from poorer socioeconomic conditions might be more exposed to infective stages than those from a better environment, the possible role of socioeconomic factors in contributing to the predisposition of some individuals to harbour large worm burdens of intestinal helminths was briefly discussed.

Ascariasis↗

PubMed2000

Nitric oxide mediates intestinal pathology but not immune expulsion during Trichinella spiralis infection in mice.

The relationship between intestinal pathology and immune expulsion of gastrointestinal (GI) nematodes remains controversial. Although immune expulsion of GI helminth parasites is usually associated with Th2 responses, the effector mechanisms directly responsible for parasite loss have not been identified. We have previously shown that while the intestinal pathology accompanying the expulsion of the GI parasite Trichinella spiralis may be dependent on IL-4 and mediated by TNF, parasite loss is independent of TNF. In contrast, intestinal pathology in other disease models has been attributed to Th1 cytokines, although it closely resembles that seen in helminth infections. Whereas production of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) in the gut is important for both homeostasis of the epithelial layer and in protection against pathogenic microorganisms, overproduction of NO has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of inflammatory conditions. We therefore investigated the role of NO in T. spiralis infection using iNOS-deficient mice. iNOS-/- and iNOS-/+ mice were infected with T. spiralis, and parasite expulsion and intestinal pathology were followed. Parasite expulsion proceeded similarly in both groups of animals, but significant intestinal pathology was only observed in the heterozygous mice. Thus it appears that, although the protective effects of Th2 responses in GI helminth infection do not require NO, this mediator contributes substantially to the associated enteropathy. NO may therefore be an important mediator of enteropathy in both Th1- and Th2-inducing conditions.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Meningitis due to protozoa and helminths.

This article reviews the microbiology, pathogenesis, epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnostic tests, and recent advances in the therapy of protozoan and helminthic infections of the central nervous system, with more emphasis given to protozoan than to helminthic infections.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Community perception and readiness for anti-helminth programmes in rural Nepal.

We report on the community perception of helminth infection and readiness to participate in and pay for a community-based anti-helminth programme in rural Nepal. For data collection, 28 focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted in 28 communities. The FGD results revealed that community members were lacking in scientific knowledge about helminth infection. They also had an unusual perception about it--they believed that a 'mul juka' (vital worm) should reside in every person's stomach from birth, and must never be killed. Nonetheless, the results showed that the community members were willing to participate in and were ready to contribute their resources to the anti-helminth programmes as long as modern medicine would not kill the 'mul juka'. Such community readiness provides us with hope for developing a sustainable anti-helminth programme at the community level through effective health education.

Anthelmintics↗

PubMed2005

Immune regulation of protease-activated receptor-1 expression in murine small intestine during Nippostrongylus brasiliensis infection.

Infection with gastrointestinal nematodes exerts profound effects on both immune and physiological responses of the host. Helminth infection induces a hypercontractility of intestinal smooth muscle that is dependent on the Th2 cytokines, IL-4 and IL-13, and may contribute to worm expulsion. Protease-activated receptors (PARs) are expressed throughout the gut, and activation of PAR-1 was observed in asthma, a Th2-driven pathology. In the current study we investigated the physiologic and immunologic regulation of PAR-1 in the murine small intestine, specifically 1) the effect of PAR-1 agonists on small intestinal smooth muscle contractility, 2) the effects of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis infection on PAR-1 responses, 3) the roles of IL-13 and IL-4 in N. brasiliensis infection-induced alterations in PAR-1 responses, and 4) the STAT6 dependence of these responses. We demonstrate that PAR-1 activation induces contraction of murine intestinal smooth muscle that is enhanced during helminth infection. This hypercontractility is associated with an elevated expression of PAR-1 mRNA and protein. N. brasiliensis-induced changes in PAR-1 function and expression were seen in IL-4-deficient mice, but not in IL-13- or STAT6-deficient mice, indicating the dependence of IL-13 on the STAT6 signaling pathway independent of IL-4.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

Differential diagnosis of eosinophilic meningitis.

Meningitis - infection o f the meninges - can be attributed to a variety o f agents, including bacteria, protozoa and some helminths. In helminth infections, but rarely in protozoal infections, eosinophilia is a common sign. Thus eosinophilic meningitis (EOM) is typically associated with certain helminth infections in which nervous system involvement occurs. Among the most important of these are ongiostrongyliosis, gnathostomiasis, porogonimiasis and cysticercosis (see Fig. 1). Here, Nibha Jaroonvesoma discusses the key distinctions between such infections.

Journal Article↗