ABSTRACT
An epidemiological survey for parasitic infection involving 395 children aged under 12 years of age in 5 rural communities of low socio-economic status was carried out in Paraguay between Octuber 1990 and May 1992. Intestial parasite were detected by four methods, namely direct observation, formalin-ether concentration, the agar plate mathod and the Harada-Mori filter paper strip culture techenique. Intestinal helminths and/or prortozoos were detected in 270 faecal specimens (68.4 percent). Fifty seven point four percent of these specimens showed infection with a single parasitic species, while 28.1 percent showed double, 9.6 percent triple, 4.1 percent quadruple and 0.4 percent quintuple infection. The most commonly observed helminth species in this study was Necator americanus (in 23.3 percent of specimens), followed by Ascaris lumbricoides (10.6 percent). Strongyloides stercoralis (10.4 percent), Hymenclepis nana (23.3 percent), Trichuris trichiura (0.8 percent), Taenia sp. (0.8 percent) and Enterobius vermicularis (0.3 percent). Non-phatogenic protozoan species, endolimax nana (13.7 percent), entamoeba coli (12.4 percent) and Blastodystis hominis (10.1 percent) were also observed. The highest prevalence was observed in Areguá (92.7 percent), followed by Repatriación (89.6 percent), while the lowest prevalence was in Ñemby (35.4 percent)