Community Epidemiology Approach to Parasitic Infection Screening in a Remote Community in Ecuador

Mariella Anselmi Centro de Epidemiologia Comunitaria y Medicina Tropical (CECOMET), Esmeraldas, Ecuador;
Centre for Tropical Diseases, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Verona, Italy;

Search for other papers by Mariella Anselmi in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
Angel Guevara Carrera de Medicina, Instituto de Biomedicina, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador;

Search for other papers by Angel Guevara in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
Yosselin Vicuña Carrera de Medicina, Instituto de Biomedicina, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador;

Search for other papers by Yosselin Vicuña in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
Sandra Vivero Carrera de Medicina, Instituto de Biomedicina, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador;

Search for other papers by Sandra Vivero in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
Rosanna Prandi Centro de Epidemiologia Comunitaria y Medicina Tropical (CECOMET), Esmeraldas, Ecuador;

Search for other papers by Rosanna Prandi in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
Cintia Caicedo Centro de Epidemiologia Comunitaria y Medicina Tropical (CECOMET), Esmeraldas, Ecuador;

Search for other papers by Cintia Caicedo in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
Monica Marquez Centro de Epidemiologia Comunitaria y Medicina Tropical (CECOMET), Esmeraldas, Ecuador;

Search for other papers by Monica Marquez in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
Zeno Bisoffi Centre for Tropical Diseases, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Verona, Italy;
Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Section, Diagnostic and Public Health Department, University of Verona, Verona, Italy

Search for other papers by Zeno Bisoffi in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
, and
Dora Buonfrate Centre for Tropical Diseases, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Verona, Italy;

Search for other papers by Dora Buonfrate in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.19-0187
Volume/Issue:
Volume 101: Issue 3
Page(s):
650–653
Restricted access
Get Permissions

The Awa indigenous people of Ecuador live in remote areas and were included in health programs only recently. The first screening for parasitic infections in the Awa communities was implemented in the context of community epidemiology. During the site visits in each community, the health-care staff collected the samples for stool microscopy and serology for Strongyloides. A total of 705 individuals consented for the study, representing 40% of the Awa population living in the targeted communities; 184 (26%) participants supplied a stool sample. Giardia intestinalis was found in about 11% of samples. Prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura was 54.9% and 36.9%, respectively. No hookworm eggs were found. In addition, Strongyloides stercoralis larvae were found in eight individuals (4.3%), whereas serology was positive in 22.7% of the individuals tested. The community-based approach resulted in an impressive participation. There was a high prevalence of parasites associated with relevant morbidity.

Author Notes

Address correspondence to Dora Buonfrate, Centre for Tropical Diseases, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Via Sempreboni 5, Negrar, Verona 37024, Italy. E-mail: dora.buonfrate@sacrocuore.it

Financial support: This work was partly supported by the Italian Ministry of Health “Fondi Ricerca Corrente - Linea 3, progetto 8” to IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital.

Authors’ addresses: Mariella Anselmi, Rosanna Prandi, Cintia Caicedo, and Monica Marquez, Centro de Epidemiologia Comunitaria y Medicina Tropical (CECOMET), Esmeraldas, Ecuador, E-mails: mariella.anselmi@alice.it, rosannaprandi@cecomet.org, cintiacaicedo@cecomet.org, and monicamarquez@cecomet.org. Angel Guevara, Yosselin Vicuña, and Sandra Vivero, Instituto de Biomedicina, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador, E-mails: agguevara@uce.edu.ec, yossvi@gmail.com, and sgvivero@uce.edu.ec. Zeno Bisoffi and Dora Buonfrate, Department of Infectious–Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Verona, Italy, E-mails: zeno.bisoffi@sacrocuore.it and dora.buonfrate@sacrocuore.it.

Copyright:
© The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 2019
Received:
05 Mar 2019
|
Accepted:
06 Jun 2019
|
Published Online:
22 Jul 2019
Cover The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Print ISSN:
0002-9637
Online ISSN:
1476-1645
  • 1.

    Maldonade L, 1989. Las Nacionalidades Indigenas en el Ecuador: Nuestro Proceso Organizativo. Tincui-Conaie, editor. Quito, Ecuador.

  • 2.

    Centro de Epidemiologia Comunitaria y Medicina Tropical (CECOMET). Cooperazione - Ecuador - Esmeraldas. Available at: http://www.tropicalmed.eu/Page/WebObjects/PageTropE.woa/wa/displayPage?name=Cecomet. Accessed June 26, 2019.

    • PubMed
    • Export Citation
  • 3.

    Guevara A, Moreira J, Criollo H, Vivero S, Racines M, Cevallos V, Prandi R, Caicedo C, Robinzon F, Anselmi M, 2014. First description of Trypanosoma cruzi human infection in Esmeraldas Province, Ecuador. Parasit Vectors 7: 358.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 4.

    Guevara A, Vicuna Y, Costales D, Vivero S, Anselmi M, Bisoffi Z, Formenti F, 2019. Use of real time polymerase chain reaction to differentiate between pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica and the non-pathogenic Entamoeba dispar in Ecuador. Am J Trop Med Hyg 100: 81–82.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 5.

    Anselmi M et al. 2015. Mass administration of ivermectin for the elimination of onchocerciasis significantly reduced and maintained low the prevalence of Strongyloides stercoralis in Esmeraldas, Ecuador. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 9: e0004150.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 6.

    Guevara A, Lovato R, Proano R, Rodriguez-Perez MA, Unnasch T, Cooper PJ, Guderian RH, 2018. Elimination of onchocerciasis in Ecuador: findings of post-treatment surveillance. Parasit Vectors 11: 265.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 7.

    Anselmi M, Moreira JM, Caicedo C, Guderian R, Tognoni G, 2003. Community participation eliminates yaws in Ecuador. Trop Med Int Health 8: 634–638.

  • 8.

    Moncayo AL, Lovato R, Cooper PJ, 2018. Soil-transmitted helminth infections and nutritional status in Ecuador: findings from a national survey and implications for control strategies. BMJ Open 8: e021319.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 9.

    Buonfrate D, Formenti F, Perandin F, Bisoffi Z, 2015. Novel approaches to the diagnosis of Strongyloides stercoralis infection. Clin Microbiol Infect 21: 543–552.

  • 10.

    Bisoffi Z et al. 2014. Diagnostic accuracy of five serologic tests for Strongyloides stercoralis infection. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 8: e2640.

  • 11.

    Jourdan PM, Lamberton PHL, Fenwick A, Addiss DG, 2018. Soil-transmitted helminth infections. Lancet 391: 252–326

  • 12.

    Nutman TB, 2017. Human infection with Strongyloides stercoralis and other related Strongyloides species. Parasitology 144: 263–273.

  • 13.

    Henriquez-Camacho C, Gotuzzo E, Echevarria J, White AC Jr., Terashima A, Samalvides F, Perez-Molina JA, Plana MN, 2016. Ivermectin versus albendazole or thiabendazole for Strongyloides stercoralis infection. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 18: CD007745. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD007745.pub3.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 14.

    Moser W, Schindler C, Keiser J, 2017. Efficacy of recommended drugs against soil transmitted helminths: systematic review and network meta-analysis. BMJ 358: j4307.

Past two years Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 677 585 43
Full Text Views 603 10 1
PDF Downloads 258 6 1
 
 
 
 
Affiliate Membership Banner
 
 
Research for Health Information Banner
 
 
CLOCKSS
 
 
 
Society Publishers Coalition Banner
Save