ABSTRACT
From May to August 1999, we evaluated 401 patients from a pediatric hospital of Havana City. One group was composed of 113 patients with diarrhea admitted to the Gastroenterology ward and a second consisted of 288 patients without diarrhea, admitted for other reasons, and hospitalized within the same time period. Three stool samples were collected from each child and were examined using three parasitological techniques. When we compared the frequency of parasite species between both groups, we found Cryptosporidium spp. and Cyclospora cayetanensis, only in the group of children with diarrhea (P < 0.01). However, no significant differences were found in the occurrence of the other intestinal parasites (P > 0.05). In addition, in those children infected with Cryptosporidium, the diarrhea had a more prolonged duration (P < 0.01), while those infected with Cyclospora, the abdominal cramps or pain, and acute diarrhea were more frequently detected (P < 0.01). Our results showed that emerging intestinal coccidia are pathogens strongly associated in this group of children with diarrhea
Subject(s)
Humans , Animals , Male , Female , Infant, Newborn , Infant , Child, Preschool , Child , Cryptosporidiosis , Cryptosporidium , Diarrhea , Case-Control Studies , Cross-Sectional Studies , Cryptosporidiosis , Cuba , Diarrhea , FecesABSTRACT
Se estudiaron comparativamente pacientes con afecciones oculares presuntamente toxoplasmosicas y un grupo control compuesto por personas asintomaticas, atendiendo a los resultados obtenidos con el empleo de la reaccion de fijacion del complemento para toxoplasmosis.Se reunieron 36 pacientes con uveitis anteriores, 50 con coriorretinitis y 100 personas sanas. Se encontro diferencias significativas entre las concentraciones de anticuerpos de ambos grupos sintomaticos con respecto a los controles. No se llego a conclusiones definitivas sobre si la presunta toxoplasmosis fue congenita o adquirida en los casos estudiados. Del analisis de la relacion entre los niveles de anticuerpos y el contacto con gatos dentro de cada grupo, solo fueron halladas diferencias en los controles, lo que indica en el universo estudiado, que la presencia de estos animales pudo haber influido en la infeccion, pero no en la enfermedad