The relation between the prevalence of soil transmitted parasites in the soil and among school children in Zagazig district, Sharkyia Governorate, Egypt

The Impact of Parasitic Infestation on Nutritional Status and Micronutrients among Children

Background

Micronutrient deficiency is a great problem that is augmented by infection and poor nutrition. Iron, zinc, and selenium are trace elements needed for human growth.

Objective

To investigate the impact of parasitic infection on nutritional status and serum iron, zinc, and selenium in children attending Pediatrics Outpatient Clinic of Zagazig University Hospitals. Subjects and Methods. A case-control study included 140 parasitic infected children and one hundred age- and sex-matched controls. Anthropometric measures were evaluated using specific Egyptian growth charts. Parasites were detected in stool specimens using standard microscopic methods. Atomic absorption spectrophotometer was used for the detection of serum iron, zinc, and selenium. To examine the statistical relationship between intestinal parasitic infection and the relevant variables (gender, residence, socioeconomic status, and age group), the nonparametric chi-square (χ2) test was used. Data were analyzed statistically using SPSS version 25.

Results

Parasitic infected children showed a statistically significant low weight for age, height for age, and BMI. Serum iron, zinc, and selenium were significantly lower in parasitic infected children than controls. Serum iron, zinc, and selenium have significant positive correlations with weight, height, and BMI, respectively.

Conclusion

Studied serum micronutrients especially zinc and iron and anthropometric indices were significantly lower in parasitically infected children.

Prevalence and correlates of soil-transmitted helminths in schoolchildren aged 5 to 18 years in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

According to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 report, up to 1.5 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) are lost due to soil-transmitted helminths (STHs), and 5.9 million people are at risk of acquiring STHs. Regions with the highest prevalence of STH infections include Sub-Saharan Africa, China, South America, and Asia. While there are numerous fragmented studies on STH, comprehensive information on the prevalence and geographic distribution of different species, as well as their regional variations in the context of STHs is limited. The present systematic review and meta-analysis study attempts to provide a summary of the prevalence, geographical variation, and determinants of STHs among schoolchildren aged 5 to 18 years.

Methods

An extensive literature search was carried out using PubMed, Embase, Cinhal, and Psychinfo for studies published between 1999 and 2022 that reported the rate of STH infection in school-going children aged 5-18 years. A random effects model was employed in this meta-analysis due to expected heterogeneity. Subgroup analysis was carried out based on sex and STH species because of expected geographical variation.

Results

A total of 19,725 of the 49,630 children examined were infected with STH, yielding an overall pooled prevalence of 37.16% (95% CI: 29.74-44.89). The prevalence was highest in the Western Pacific region at 50.41% (95% CI: 33.74-67.04) followed by Europe at 39.74% (95% CI: 20.40-61.0) and Africa at 37.10% (95% CI: 26.84-47.95). Ascaris lumbricoides was found to be the most prevalent helminth with a prevalence of 24.07% (95% CI: 17.07-31.83).

Conclusion

The Western Pacific region is classified as a High-risk Zone (HRZ), while Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Eastern Mediterranean are classified as moderate-risk zones (MRZs). We found a 12% reduction in the pooled prevalence of STH infection from 1999 to 2012. Ascaris lumbricoides was the predominant species among schoolchildren. Mass Drug Administration (MDA) of Albendazole tablets and improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices are effective in controlling and preventing STH. Ensuring their implementation and access is crucial to addressing the problem.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/#loginpage, CRD42022333341.

Toxocariasis: potential association with bronchial asthma, and pneumonia among pediatric children

Toxocariasis is an underestimated geohelminthic infection which shows respiratory changes concurrent with larval migration. The purpose of the present study was to detect Toxocara seropositivity in asthmatic and pneumonic children, and in turn to evaluate its association with the children clinical manifestations, laboratory test results, and sociodemographic risk factors. A total of 50 asthmatic, 50 pneumonic children and 50 healthy controls were subjected to stool analysis by direct wet mount and concentration techniques to exclude possible cross reactivity. Blood samples were collected for complete blood count and assessment of eosinophil count. Sera were examined for anti-Toxocara IgG antibodies, and measurement of total IgE level. Anti Toxocara IgG was detected in 27.3% (41/150) of the studied children. It was significantly higher in asthmatic group compared to controls (26%. p value = 0.033) and significantly highest in pneumonia group compared to both bronchial asthma group (46%. p value = 0.030) and control group (10%. p value = 0.001). There was a significant association between anti Toxocara IgG seroprevalence and each of eosinophilia, total IgE and both combined. Anti Toxocara IgG showed significant higher percentage in asthmatic children who recorded history of soil contact and pets contact as compared to control and pneumonic groups. Toxocara IgG seropositivity was highly associated with fever, cough, wheezes and dyspnea with statistical significance. Toxocara seropositivity has to be considered as a vital associated factor for asthmatic and pneumonic children, and eventually better to be considered in differential diagnosis by pediatricians. Further studies are still needed to explore the correlation between toxocariasis and different patient categories.

Current status of intestinal parasitosis among patients attending teaching hospitals in Zagazig district, Northeastern Egypt

Almost 80% of health problems in the developing world are due to malnutrition and infectious diseases, which are mainly parasitic. Updated records on the prevalence of parasitic infections and the potential risk factors are essential to enhancing control strategies. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the current situation of intestinal parasitism among patients attending teaching hospitals in Zagazig district, Northeastern Egypt. The study involved five hundred cases. They were all subjected to faecal examination using direct smear measure and two commercial faecal concentrators: Mini-Parasep® solvent-free and Mini-FLOTAC procedures. Mini-FLOTAC was performed with two solutions (FS2: saturated sodium chloride and FS7: zinc sulphate). The overall prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections was 56%. Different species were identified, like Giardia lamblia (12.6%), Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (10%), Ascaris lumbricoides (8.8%) and Hymenolepis nana (8.6%). Data analyses revealed a significant association of intestinal parasitism with different socio-demographic features of the participants. Our results showed a better diagnostic performance of Mini-Parasep® in the overall recovery of intestinal parasites. It was more accurate than Mini-FLOTAC in diagnosing both helminths and protozoan infections. Mini-FLOTAC (FS2) exhibited a higher sensitivity than FS7 for helminth recovery (74.6% vs 53.4%), while FS7 was more sensitive for protozoan infections (50.6% vs 43.8%). Intestinal parasitosis remains a challenging health problem in Zagazig city, wherever reliable diagnostic approaches are limited. Thus, our study has proposed the value of the commercial concentrators (Mini-Parasep® and Mini-FLOTAC) as alternative techniques for diagnosing a large variety of parasite species in resource-constrained settings.

Intestinal parasitic infection among school children in Dakahlia governorate, Egypt: a cross-sectional study

Background

Intestinal parasitic infections are still representing a significant health problem in developing countries including Egypt. School children are highly vulnerable to this type of infection, and they suffered many health consequences. This study was conducted to identify the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection among school children and its related factors.

Results

This is a school-based cross-sectional study conducted on 726 school children selected from primary, preparatory, and secondary schools located at Aga district, Dakahlia governorate. A questionnaire sheet including data on the socio-demographic characters of students and their families, environmental and behavioral variables, and gastro-intestinal symptoms was filled. Also, fresh stool samples were collected from each child for microscopic examination to detect eggs, cysts, and trophozoites of intestinal parasites. There were 239 of 726 children with IPIs representing an overall prevalence of 32.9%. The most prevalent parasitic species were E. histolytica (12.3%), G. lamblia (8.5%), H. nana (7.7%), and A. lumbricoides (5.7%). There were significant differences between infected and non-infected children regarding age, educational stage, residence, monthly family income, and maternal education levels. Also, there were highly significant differences between infected and non-infected children regarding all environmental and behavioral variables and the occurrence of GIT symptoms.

Conclusion

High prevalence of IPIs among school children indicates little personal hygiene and poor environmental sanitation. Much more efforts are needed for the application of proper prevention and control strategy.

Seroepidemiology of human toxocariasis in North Africa

Seroprevalence studies on human toxocariasis help to assess the burden and the morbidity associated with this zoonosis. This review searched the seroprevalence studies and case reports in six North African countries: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia, since 1990. The search also included studies on the environmental factors related to the risk of transmission. Most of the published epidemiological studies were done in Egypt. Cross-sectional and case-control studies in Egypt demonstrated that toxocariasis is a significant zoonosis that could be associated with conditions like bronchial asthma allergies and certain neuropsychiatric disorders. The population at risk of this infection includes all ages, both genders, in contact with dogs, resident in rural areas with poor housing conditions. The publications from Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria are limited to case reports and retrospective analyses of cases, but the disease is probably under-diagnosed in these three countries. There are no published reports on human toxocariasis in Libya and Sudan during the period covered by the review. Animal studies confirm high infection rates of dogs with Toxocara canis in North Africa. There is also evidence of wide-spread contamination of soil and water with Toxocara spp. eggs. Moreover, the use of untreated wastewater for irrigation in parts of North Africa could be a source of contamination of agricultural products with eggs of Toxocara spp. Population-based studies on human toxocariasis are recommended, using standardized diagnostic tests. These surveys should also assess risk factors to guide preventive measures.

Enteroparasitism and Risk Factors Associated with Clinical Manifestations in Children and Adults of Jalisco State in Western Mexico

Objectives

To determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with intestinal parasites in the population of San Juan Cosala, Jalisco, Mexico.

Methods

A total of 277 samples from 104 participants were analysed using direct smear, flotation, formaldehyde/ethyl acetate, and modified Kinyoun's acid-fast stain methods. The Graham method was applied only for samples from children under 12 years of age for the diagnosis of Enterobius vermicularis.

Results

The prevalence of parasite infections in the study population was 77.9% including: Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar/E. moshkovskii/E. bangladeshi (37.5%), Giardia intestinalis (11.5%); commensals: Endolimax nana (44.2%), Entamoeba coli (27.9%), Chilomastix mesnili (6.7%) and Iodamoeba bütschlii, (2.9%); emerging intestinal protozoans: Blastocystis spp. (49%), Cryptosporidium spp. (7.7%) and Cyclospora cayetanensis (2.9%); and helminths: Enterobius vermicularis (18.3%) and Ascaris lumbricoides (5.8%). The results also showed that 58.64% of the studied population presented polyparasitism. A significant association was found between protozoan infections and housewives, and houses that were not built with concrete ceilings, brick walls and cement floors (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Polyparasitism was observed in over half the study population. The most prevalent parasite was Blastocystis spp, whilst the prevalence of helminths was less than that of protozoans. The risk factors for infection to intestinal parasites were being a housewife and not having solid brick, cement and concrete materials for house construction.

Strongyloides stercoralis larvae found for the first time in tap water using a novel culture method

Strongyloides stercoralis (S. stercoralis) is a soil-borne helminth but its prevalence in water samples is underestimated. The aim of the present study is to propose non-nutrient agar (NNA) as a novel culture method in the diagnosis of Strongyloides and to detect the prevalence rate of S. stercoralis larvae in tap water samples in Beni-Suef Governorate, Egypt. Eighty tap water samples were collected from Beni-Suef Governorate and each sample was filtered in three steps using three filters: one filter for microscopic examination of wet mount, while the remaining two filters were cultured on both NNA and nutrient agar plate (APC). S. stercoralis larvae, adults, and eggs were detected in two (2.5%) and four (5%) out of 80 samples after examination of wet mount preparation and cultures on both NNA and APC, respectively. NNA succeeded to maintain Strongyloides alive for up to 1 month. Our study is the first to detect Strongyloides larvae in tap water in Egypt and the first to use NNA as a novel culture media for Strongyloides.