Management practices to control gastrointestinal parasites in sheep farms in Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil / Práticas de manejo para controle de parasitas gastrointestinais em fazendas com ovinos em Minas Gerais, Sudeste do Brasil

Parasite related problems are considered one of the major health problems for sheep breeding, causing considerable economic losses to commercial husbandry. The aim of this study was to determine the technological level and the level of knowledge of farmers regarding management practices to control gastrointestinal parasites in sheep in Minas Gerais state, southeastern Brazil. The analysis was based on 213 questionnaires applied by official veterinarians of the State Government Agency for Animal Health (Instituto Mineiro de Agropecuária, IMA), covering 16.6% of all counties. From two hundred and thirteen sheep farms sampled, 117 farms had their technological level determined. From the samples, 0.9% were characterized as high level, 45.3% as medium, and 53.0% as low technological level. The flock size ranged from 2 to 1843 with an average of 80.5 sheep per farm. The majority of the sheep production systems was extensive/semi-extensive (74.5%). The management practices adopted by the farmers to reduce parasitism were: split young and adult animals (5.6%), change pasture after deworm the animals (5.2%), use quarantine for incoming animals (2.3%), deworm newly arrived sheep (1.5%), and have regular technical assistance (31.9%). Although 76.5% of the farmers medicate the animals, treatments were performed without any major technical criteria, with an average interval of 4.6 months. The most commonly used drug families were macrocyclic lactones (38.5%) and benzimidazoles (24.9%). The management practices adopted in Minas Gerais are based on old recommendations and may not return in a good set of strategies to prevent parasite infections. Field observations reinforce the finding where farmers have obtained unsatisfactory results in maintaining the health and productivity level of their enterprises.

Problemas relacionados com parasitas são considerados um dos principais problemas sanitários na criação de ovinos, causando consideráveis perdas econômicas para criação comercial. O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar o nível tecnológico e o nível de conhecimento dos criadores sobre práticas de manejo para o controle de parasitas gastrintestinais em ovinos no estado de Minas Gerais, sudeste do Brasil. A análise foi baseada em 213 questionários aplicados pelos veterinários oficiais da Agência de Governo Estudal de Saúde Animal (Instituto Mineiro de Agropecuária, IMA), cobrindo 16,6% de todos os municípios. Duzentos e treze propriedades com ovinos foram amostradas e 117 tiveram o seu nível tecnológico determinado. A partir da amostra, 0,9% foi caracterizado como nível elevado, de 45,3%, como de médio e 53,0% como baixo nível tecnológico. O tamanho do rebanho variou de 2 a 1843 com uma média de 80,5 ovinos por propriedade. A maioria dos sistemas de produção de ovinos eram extensivos/semi-extensivos (74,5%). As práticas de manejo adotadas pelos criadores para reduzir o parasitismo foram: separar animais jovens e adultos (5,6%), mudança de pastagem após vermifugar os animais (5,2%), uso de quarentena para animais recem adiquiridos (2,3%), vermifugação de ovelhas recém-chegadas (1,5%) e assistência técnica regular (31,9%). Apesar de 76,5% dos criadores vermifugarem os animais, os tratamentos foram realizados sem qualquer critério técnico importante, com um intervalo médio de 4,6 meses. As famílias de drogas mais comumente usadas foram lactonas macrocíclicas (38,5%) e benzimidazóis (24,9%). As práticas de manejo adotadas em Minas Gerais são baseadas em recomendações antigas e não em estratégias para prevenir infecções parasitárias. As observações de campo reforçam os achados em que os proprietários obtiveram resultados insatisfatórios na manutenção dos níveis de saúde e produtividade de seus empreendimentos.

Prevalence and characters of Entamoeba histolytica infection in Saudi infants and children admitted with diarrhea at 2 main hospitals at south Jeddah: a re-emerging serious infection with unusual presentation

In this study, Entamoeba histolytica had high prevalence and unusual presentation by affecting high proportion of infants under 1 year; severe clinical manifestations, and laboratory findings that were known to be usually encountered in invasive amebiasis as significant leukocytosis for age, neutrophilic leukocytosis for age, and positive C-reactive protein were found among more than 50% of admitted Saudi infants and children with E. histolytica infection in our locality. E. histolytica can be a re-emerging serious infection when it finds favorable environmental conditions and host factors which are mainly attributed to inadequate breastfeeding in this study. This may occur in any other area of the world with the same risk factors, so we must be ready to tackle it with effective and more powerful preventive measures.

[ frequency of cryptosporidiosis among gastroenteritic patients in western cities of Mazandaran Province [2007-2009][

Gastroenteritis is caused by parasitic and non-parasitic microorganisms. Cryptosporidiosis is one of the parasitic diseases leading to acute or chronic gastroenteritis caused by Cryptosporidium spp. Self-limiting gastroenteritis is observed in immunocompetent individuals, but in immunocompromised patients it causes a sever disease. High humidity, ecological conditions, water supplies, domestic and industrial animal husbandry and the rate of raining have made the Mazandaran regions as a province for transmission of parasites. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of cryptosporidiosis among gastroenteritic patients in western cities of Mazandaran Province, during 2007-2009. This analytical study was conducted in cities of Chalus, Tonekabon, and Ramsar located in west Mazandaran province, northern Iran. Stool samples from patients with gastroenteritis and healthy individuals were collected, fixed and examined by direct method [DM] for the diagnosis of enteropathogenic and non-pathogenic parasites; acid-fast staining [AFS] and auramine phenol fluorescence [APF] for detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts and analysed using ANOVA and t-ests. The mean prevalence rate of parasitic infections in three cities was 2.38% with the highest rate of infection associated with Giardia lamblia [1.43%], Blastocystis hominis [0.71%], and Entamoeba coli [0.24%], respectively. No Cryptospordium sp. was observed among the test and control groups. Based on our data, a low rate of parasitic infection and also an absence of cryptospordiosis, compared to the previous studies, in western part of Mazandaran province were established. This may be associated with improvements in public health education, water treatment environmental sanitation, and low animal contacts during recent years

[Epidemiological features of rotaviral, bacterial, and parasitic infections among hospitalized children in Jahrom [2006-2007]]

Rotavirus is one of the most common cause of diarrhea and one of the major causes of severe gastroenteritis in very young children. To follow up and genotype the agents of rotavirus infection as well as assessing the bacterial and parasitic organisms among hospitalized children with gastroenteritis in the city of Jahrom, Iran. This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out during October 2006 to October 2007. A total of 163 stool samples from hospitalized children less than 5 years old with severe diarrhea were collected from two hospitals in Jahrom. Culture, microscopy, EIA, and RT-PCR were used for detection of bacterial, parasitic and rotaviral agents. Data were analyzed using SPSS 14 and descriptive statistics including chi-square test, ANOVA, and Fisher exact test. A p value less than 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Of total samples, 46.02% were positive for group A rotavirus by EIA. The predominant genotypes were G[1] [17.33%], G[4] [30.66%], and nontypable [30.66%]. Also, E.coli, Shigella spp., Shigella spp. + E.coli, E.coli + rotavirus, Salmonella spp., E. histolytica/E.Dispar, and other infectious agents were identified in 7.97%, 17.18%, 1.83%, 15.20%, 3.66%, 10.84%, and 6.28% of cases, respectively. According, to the data obtained from the present study, rotavirus infections in Jahrom mostly occur within the cold months of the year, epidemiologically

Molecular characterization of viruses associated with gastrointestinal infection in HIV-positive patients

BACKGROUND: Diarrhea is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among HIV-infected patients worldwide. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the frequency of viral gastrointestinal infections among Brazilian HIV-infected patients with diarrhea. METHODS: A collection of 90 fecal specimens from HIV-infected individuals with diarrhea, previously tested for the presence of bacteria and parasite was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction and sequence analysis for the presence of enteric viruses such as astrovirus, norovirus, rotavirus groups A, B and C, adenovirus, herpes simplex virus, Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, and human bocavirus. RESULTS: Twenty patients (22.2 percent; n = 90) were infected with parasites (11 single infections and nine coinfected with virus). Enteropathogenic bacteria were not found. Virus infections were detected in 28.9 percent (26/90) of the specimens. Cytomegalovirus was the most common virus detected (24.4 percent; 22/90). Coinfections with viruses and/or parasite were observed in 10 (11.1 percent) samples. CONCLUSION: Gastrointestinal virus infections were more frequent than parasitic or bacterial infections in this patient population.

intestinal parasitic infection still a public health concern among Saudi children?

To determine the possible health risk associated with intestinal parasite infections among children with gastroenteritis in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This cross-sectional study was undertaken between March and August 2007 in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to detect the prevalence of intestinal parasite infections in children aged 0-10 years. Two major public hospitals took part in the study. These hospitals are King Abdulaziz University Hospital [KAUH], and King Fahad Hospital [KFH]. The study involved examination of fecal samples from 500 children [24 inpatients and 476 outpatients] complaining of gastroenteritis. The samples were concentrated by formol-ethyl acetate concentration method, and microscopically examined with iodine and Ziehl Neelsen staining methods. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection was 33.8%. The intestinal parasites identified in both inpatients and outpatients were Blastocystis hominis 0% inpatient, 9.5% outpatient, Entamoeba histolytica/dispar [8.3% inpatient, 5.9% outpatient], Giardia lamblia [12.5% inpatient, 2.7% outpatient], Cryptosporidium spp [8.3% inpatient, 2.3% outpatient], Ascaris lumbricoides [0% inpatient, 0.4% outpatient], hookworm [4.2% inpatient, 0.8% outpatient], and Trichuris trichiura [4.2% inpatient, 1.05% outpatient]. Intestinal parasitic infection is still a common health problem among children in Saudi Arabia

Detection of Cryptosporidium spp and other intestinal parasites in children with acute diarrhea and severe dehydration in Rio de Janeiro

The objective of the present study was to estimate the frequency of infection by Cryptosporidium spp and other intestinal parasites in dehydrated children with gastroenteritis who were admitted to a pediatric hospital. Stool examinations from 218 children were performed. Cryptosporidium spp was identified in eighteen out of 193 stool samples (9.3 percent) subjected to safranin-methylene blue staining. Giardia lamblia was detected in ten out of 213 (4.7 percent) samples examined via the direct or Ritchie methods. Other parasites identified were Ascaris lumbricoides (4.2 percent), Blastocystis hominis (1.4 percent), Entamoeba coli (0.9 percent), Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar (0.5 percent), Endolimax nana (0.5 percent), Trichuris trichiura (0.5 percent) and Enterobius vermicularis (0.5 percent).

O objetivo do presente estudo foi estimar a freqüência das infecções por Cryptosporidium spp e outros parasitas intestinais em crianças desidratadas com gastroenterite, internadas em um hospital pediátrico. Exames de fezes de 218 crianças foram realizados. Cryptosporidium spp foi detectado em 18 de 193 (9,3 por cento) amostras fecais submetidas à coloração pela safranina/azul-de-metileno. Giardia lamblia foi detectada em dez de 213 (4,7 por cento) amostras submetidas ao exame direto ou ao método de Ritchie. Também foram identificados Ascaris lumbricoides (4,2 por cento), Blastocystis hominis (1,4 por cento), Entamoeba coli (0,9 por cento), Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar (0,5 por cento), Endolimax nana (0,5 por cento), Trichuris trichiura (0,5 por cento) and Enterobius vermicularis (0,5 por cento).

Avaliação nutricional em crianças com infecçoes por enteroparasitas / Nutritional evaluation of children with enteroparasitosis

PURPOSE: To evaluate the nutritious state in children of low social-economic class in order to look over a possible corelationship among this status and the infections caused by enteroparasites. METHODS: 103 children were submitted to a nutritions evolution and to accomplish a exam of serial samples. The method employed searched protozoan cystos, helmints eggs and larvae and it counted helmint eggs when presented through 4 different methods of diagnosis. RESULTS: The results obtained show that the poor environmental and social-economic conditions helped create a high infectious frequency caused by enteroparasites, mainly by Trichuris trichiura and Ascaris lumbricoides, among the helminthes, and Endolimax nana and Giardia lamblia, among the protozoans. light malnutrition without protein deficit was found in 93.55% and moderate malnutrition in 6.45% of the children malnutrition (30.7%). CONCLUSION: Then, it is possible to suggest that children besides bearing many parasitosis were not weth their nutritional state deeply compromised.

A Case of Gastroenteritis Associated with Gastric Trichuriasis

A rare human case of gastroenteritis and eosinophilic ascites associated with gastric trichuriasis is described. The patient was a 32-yr-old woman who was working in a farm near Pohang, Korea. She complained of abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting. Endoscopic examination found focal linear hyperemia on the mucosa of the stomach antrum, and endoscopic biopsy confirmed eosinophilic inflammation of the mucosa and submucosa of the stomach, terminal ileum, and cecum. The biopsy specimen of the stomach included a female Trichuris trichiura which was covered by many inflammatory cells on its surface. Ascites and intestinal wall thickening was found by CT scan, and Douglas pouch centesis aspirated bloody ascites which included many eosinophils. She was medicated with prednisolone and albendazole and cured. She is the first case of eosinophilic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and ascites associated with trichuriasis in the stomach.

Un caso de pseudomiasis por larvas de Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) en un bovino / A case of bovine pseudomyasis caused by Hermetia illucens larvae (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)

Introducción. Hermetia illucens es un díptero que puede producir pseudomiasis gastroentérica en los humanos y los animales domésticos. Las larvas se desarrollan en una gran variedad de material vegetal y animal en descomposición, y en ocasiones son ingeridas accidentalmente por los animales. H. illucens presenta una distribución mundial; sin embargo, en el sureste mexicano no ha sido reportado como causa de problemas en los animales domésticos. Caso clínico. Se presentó un caso de pseudomiasis gástrica de un bovino macho de la raza Simmental de un año de edad, procedente del municipio de Sucilá, Yucatán, México. El animal presentó timpanismo crónico por 13 días, hasta que se realizó la necropsia y se encontró en el rumen 20 larvas de H. illucens de cuarto estadio. La mucosa ruminal presentó macroscópicamente inflamación y hemorragias. Discusión. Aunque esta especie es de distribución mundial, son pocos los casos donde se reporta como causante de pesudomiasisien el hombre y los animales. En los humanos y en el hombre, H. illucens puede causar accidentalmente pseudomiasis gastrointestinal que en ocasiones produce lesiones patológicas importantes

Gastroenteritis aguda por vibrio fluvialis: reporte de un caso / Acute gastroenteritis due to vibrio fluvialis: case report

V. flubialis ha sido asociado con diarrea, pero no es muy frecuentemente aislado en nuestro medio. Se reporta un caso de gastroenteritis aguda en un niño de nueve años de edad. Dicho caso resulta inusual debido a que no involucra los probables factores de riesgo epidemiológico. Puesto que se han reportado otros casos en niños, V.fluvialis debe ser considerado en el diagnóstico diferencial de gastroenteritis infantil

Evaluation of a rapid screening assay for bacterial identification (Dot-ELISA) in fecal samples from children

Com o objetivo de padronizar um Dot Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (Dot-ELISA) para a deteccao de antigenos de enteropatogenos bacterianos fecais, estudaram-se 250 criancas, abaixo de 36 meses de idade, de ambos os sexos, 162 portadoras de gastroenterite aguda. Avaliou-se a eficacia de um teste rapido para bacterias enteropatogenas (Escherichia coli enteropatogenica "EPEC", Escherichia coli enteroinvasora "EIEC", Salmonella spp. e Shigella spp.)...

Clinical and laboratory studies of parasitic gastroenteritis in sheep with field trial of santonin treatment

The anthelmintic activity of santonin was investigated in naturally infested sheep with gastrointestinal nematodes, a total number of 27 adult sheep [1-2 years old] were used in this study. The animals were allocated into 3 groups [noninfested nontreated control group, noninfested treated control group and infested treated group], each of 9 animals and maintained in clean and parasite free pens. The clinical signs observed in infested sheep were inappetence, dullness, anemia, soft feces and /or diarrhea and sometimes edema of the interm and ibular space. The clinical, parasitological, hematological and biochemical data of the different groups of sheep reflexed a very good efficacy of santonin as a new anthelmintic controlling parasitic gastroenteritis in sheep. Data also confirmed the safety of the drug at a dose rate of 20 mg/kg body weight orally. The application of santonin as a new anthelmintic in veterinary field can overcome anthelmintic resistance by anthelmintic rotation. Moreover, it is economically cheap as it can be easily extracted from the Artemisia herba-alba which is widely grown in Egypt

Rotavirus and adenovirus in diarrheic and non-diarrheic feces of children, in Araraquara, SP, Brazil

Procurando verificar a participaçäo de rotavirus e adenovirus na etiologia da gastrenterite infantil, 280 amostras de fezes de crianças da faixa etária de 0 a 5 anos foram coletadas em Araraquara-SP, sendo 140 de crianças com diarréia e 140 do grupo de controle. A pesquisa desses vírus foi realizada através de um ensaio imunoenzimático (EIARA) e adicionalmente, rotavirus foi pesquisado através da eletroforese em gel de poliacrilamida (PAGE). No grupo diarréico, rotavirus foi detectado em 8,6% das amostras usando EIARA e em 7,9% usando PAGE. Nenhuma das amostras do grupo controle se mostrou positiva para esse vírus. Adenovirus foi detectado em 2,9% das amostras do grupo diarréico e em 1,4 % das fezes do grupo controle. Os resultados mostram que o rotavirus participam ativamente da etiologia da diarreia infantil em nossa cidade

Cryptosporidiosis among children with acute gastroenteritis in the pediatric ward in the General Hospital, Penang.

Stool samples from 836 cases with diarrhea and acute gastroenteritis from the Pediatric ward, Penang General Hospital, were examined for Cryptosporidium oocysts. A dimethyl sulfoxide modified acid fast technique was used for the identification of the parasites. 36 samples or 4.3% were found to be positive for Cryptosporidium. The prevalence of infection was higher (2.39%) in children with diarrhea and vomiting than in children with acute gastroenteritis alone (0.8%). Stool examination and cultures from the Cryptosporidium positive samples revealed no other parasites, rotavirus or enteropathogenic bacteria. This suggests that Cryptosporidium may be an important agent in the causation of diarrhea in young children. A routine laboratory examination for the detection of Cryptosporidium in the search for causal agents of childhood diarrhea in our environment may, therefore, be significant.

Ocorrência de rotavirus e adenovirus em amostras fecais de crianças com gastrenterite, na cidade de Goiânia / Presence of rotavirus and adenovirus in fecal samples of children with gastroenteritis, in the city of Goiânia

Analisaram-se 300 amostras fecais de crianças na faixa etária de até 8 anos, na cidade de Goiânia, objetivando-se determinar o percentual de rotavirus e adenovírus em processos diarréicos, frente a outros microorganismos patogênicos entéricos (bactérias ou parasitos). Rotavírus foram detectados isoladamente em 47 casos e, associando-se a outros agentes, em 21 casos. Adenovírus foram encontrados em 7 casos, sendo que em 6 ocorreram isoladamente e em 1, associaram-se a outro microrganismo. Utilizaram-se três metodologias para a análise virológica: o ensaio imunoenzimático adaptado para rotavírus e adenovírus (EIARA), a eletroforese em gel de poliacrilamida 9EGPA) e a imunomicroscopia eletrônica (IME). O índice de concordância entre as três metodologias foi de 92,8%, entre EGPA e EIARA de 95,8% e entre a IME e EIARA de 100,0%. Dentre as amostras de rotavírus, 97,0% mostraram perfil eletroforético longo, compatível com o subgrupo II