Ascaris-Trichuris association and malnutrition in Brazilian children.

This work was designed to evaluate the role of intestinal parasites on nutritional status in three rural areas of Brazil. A total of 520 children aged 1-12 years were studied through a questionnaire concerning housing, socio-economic conditions and a 24-h food intake recall. Measurements of weight and height were also performed, and three stool samples were collected on consecutive days for parasitological analysis. Scores of the standard deviation (z-scores) for the weight-for-height and height-for-age were used to characterise the growth profile. A high prevalence of intestinal parasites was detected, with Giardia lamblia (44%), Endolimax nana (43%), Ascaris lumbricoides (41%) and Trichuris trichiura (40%) being the most prevalent. Eleven per cent of the children were classified as showing stunting. Inadequate daily caloric intake was observed in 78% of the population and the proportion of those with inadequate protein intake was 34%. Logistic regression analysis was employed for the multivariate study. Stunting was significantly associated with estimators of low economic income, inadequate protein intake and polyparasitism, especially the association between Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura.

PIP: This study was designed to assess the association between stunting and helminthic infections by studying children aged 1-12 years living in a rural area near Sao Paolo, Brazil. A total of 520 children were studied through a questionnaire concerning housing, socioeconomic conditions and a 24-hour food intake recall. Measurement of weight and height were also performed, and three stool samples were collected on consecutive days for parasitological analysis. The study has demonstrated a positive association between intestinal parasites and stunting in children. Intestinal parasites were present in 79% and stunting in 11.5% of children from the sample. 56.7% of the children with stunting were between 5 and 12 years of age, which justified the unusual inclusion of children above 5 years of age. The most prevalent intestinal parasites detected were Giardia lamblia (44%), Endolimax nana (43%), Ascaris lumbricoides (41%), and Trichuris trichiura (40%). In the study, no children reported diarrhea and/or fever. Nevertheless, the mechanism of parasitic infections includes anorexia, type of food intake, intestinal villus damage, competition for nutrients, facilitation of bacterial colonization, increase in energy requirements, decrease in hepatic protein synthesis, protein-losing enteropathy, and blood loss. Inadequate daily caloric intake was observed in 78% of the population, and the proportion of those with inadequate protein intake was 34%. Stunting was significantly associated with estimators of low economic income, inadequate protein intake and polyparasitism.

Caso de Moniliformis Moniliformis (Acanthocephala) em criança na Cidade de Säo Paulo / Moniliformis moniliformis (Acanthocephala) from a child in Säo Paulo, Brazil

Em abril de 1994 foi encaminhado ao Laboratório de Enteroparasitoses do Instituto Adolfo Lutz, para identificaçäo, um verme eliminado por criança do sexo feminino, de 12 meses de idade, que vinha apresentando quadro de diarréia, vômito e perda de peso. O exemplar foi examinado em miscroscópio estereoscópio e após estudos biométricos morfológicos, foi classificado como fêmea do gênero Moniliformis moniliformis, Acanthocephala, parasita comum do rato e que pode, acidentalmente, parasitar o homem. O objetivo do presente trabalho é relatar o segundo caso de parasitismo humano no Brasil e chamar a atençäo para a ocorrência eventual do parasita em nosso meio.

Esparganose humana. Relato de um novo caso no Estado de Säo Paulo / Abdominal spargnosis in Brazil. A case report

O encontro de um novo caso de esparganose humana no Brasil é relatado em paciente do sexo feminino, 17 anos, natural de Ribeiräo Grande, Estado de Säo Paulo, que apresentava processo inflamátório na regiäo umbilical, dores abdominais, mal estar, máuseas, vômitos, e febre. Foi retirado da cicatriz umbilical da paciente um parasita com cerca de 40cm de comprimento, que mostrou tratar-se de larva em fase plerocercóide conhecida como "Sparganum" de cestódio do gênero Spirometra (Luheella).

Diagnóstico laboratorial de Pneumocystis carinii em vários tipos de amostras de materiais de secreçäo pulmonar proveniente de indivíduos portadores do vírus HIV / Laboratory diagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii on varied specimens of bronchial secretions from individuals infected with HIV

Vários tipos de amostras de materiais de secreçäo pulmonar proveniente de indivíduos portadores do vírus HIV foram analisadas no intuito de se detectar P. carinii, importante agente etiológico de pneumonia, em indivíduos imunocomprometidos. Durante o período de junho de 1990 a maio de 1992, 612 amostras foram analisadas, sendo 560 de homens e 52 de mulheres. As amostras foram submetidas à técnica de coloraçäo de azul de toluidina O. Das 251 amostras de escarro näo induzido recebidas, apenas 11 (4,38 porcento) foram positivas, dentre as 298 amostras de lavado brônquico, 25 (8,39 porcento) mostraram-se positivas e em 63 lavados broncoalveolar, 10 (15,87 porcento) revelaram a presença do parasita. Dentre as amostras analisadas o lavado broncoalveolar apresentou maior índice de positividade, estando de acordo com os relatos da literatura

Human infection by Phagicola sp. (Trematoda, Heterophyidae) in the municipality of Registro, São Paulo State, Brazil.

In 1988, nine cases of human parasitism by Phagicola sp. were diagnosed in the municipality of Registro (São Paulo State, Brazil) by stool examinations, in patients who ate raw mullet (Mugil sp.). Six (66%) of the nine patients suffered from flatulence and four (44%) had diarrhoeal episodes; six (66%) showed slight eosinophilia. On the same occasion, 61 dogs and 11 cats from Registro were also submitted to stool examination. Only one dog (1.6%) showed Phagicola eggs in the stool. All patients were treated with a single dose of praziquantel (50 mg kg-1 body weight) and control stool tests performed on the 15th, 30th and 60th days post-treatment showed no trematode eggs.

[Cryptosporidium parasitism in children with acute diarrhea]. / Parasitismo por Cryptosporidium sp. em crianças com diarréia aguda.

During the period from August 1987 to July 1990, 241 fecal samples collected from 1 to 48 months old children with acute diarrhea and examined in the Child's Institute of Hospital das Clínicas of Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, were submitted to parasitological tests in the Enteroparasitosis Section of the Instituto Adolfo Lutz. Fourty two (17.43%) fecal samples showed Cryptosporidium sp. oocysts by carbol-fucsin stain. Parasitism by Cryptosporidium sp. was more frequent during the period comprised from March to May, in the studied three years. The authors discussed the Cryptosporidium sp. in association with other agents.

[Occurrence of Strongyloides stercoralis in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)]. / Ocorrência de Strongyloides stercoralis em pacientes portadores da síndrome de imunodeficiência adquirida (AIDS).

A comparative study on the occurrence of Strongyloides stercoralis larvae in 554 patients with AIDS and in 142 patients suffering from infectious diseases other than AIDS was conducted during the period from January 1987 to December 1988. The two groups was constituted by male individuals in-patients at Emílio Ribas Hospital--São Paulo. Faeces samples from 696 patients were submitted to spontaneous sedimentation method and Rugai method. The data obtained from the present investigation demonstrated a similar prevalence of Strongyloides stercoralis in both groups (p > 0.05) indicating no significant statistical differences.

Ocorrencia de Taenia sp. na populacao atendida no laboratorio central do Instituto Adolfo Lutz, Sao Paulo, SP, Brasil (1960/1989) / Occurrence of Taenia sp. in the population seen at the Central Laboratory of the Adolfo Lutz Institute, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil (1960/1989)

Foram examinados retrospectivamente os relatorios mensais e anuais da Secao de Enteroparasitoses do Laboratorio Central do Instituto Adolfo Lutz, Sao Paulo, SP, no periodo de 1960 a 1989, perfazendo uma serie historica de 30 anos, com 1.519.730 exames protoparasitologicos e 355 identificacoes de proglotes de Taenia. Pelo metodo da sedimentacao espontanea foram diagnosticados 7.663 (0,5 por cento) casos de presenca de ovos de Taenia sp. nas fezes. Das 355 proglotes enviadas para identificacao, 311 (87,60 por cento) estavam em condicoes de serem especificadas, e dessas, 273 (87,80 por cento) eram proglotes de Taenia saginata e 38 (12,22 por cento) de T. solium.

[Occurrence of Taenia sp. in the population seen at the Central Laboratory of the Adolfo Lutz Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil (1960/1989)]. / Ocorrência de Taenia sp. na população atendida no Laboratório Central do Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, SP, Brasil (1960/1989).

Monthly and yearly reports of the Seção de Enteroparasitoses of the Instituto Adolfo Lutz (São Paulo, SP, Brazil) from 1960 to 1989 with 1,519,730 parasitological stool examinations were studied. There were also 355 identifications of Taenia sp. proglottids. Using Hoffman, Pons & Janer's method, 7,663 (0.5%) cases of taeniasis were diagnosed, and 311 (87.60%) of the 355 proglottids were on easy terms to be specified, 273 (87.80%) of them were from Taenia saginata.

Human parasitism by Phagicola sp (trematoda, heterophyidae) in Cananeia, Sao Paulo State Brazil

Relata-se o primeiro caso de parasitismo humano por Phagicola sp. registrado no Brasil em paciente do sexo feminino e de 31 anos de idade que viajara, no iniciop de 1987, para Cananeia, no litoral sul do Estado de Sao Paulo, permanecendo alguns meses nesse municipio, por motivos profissionais. A paciente queixava-se dores em colica no abdomem; no exame parasitologico de fezes encontraram-se ovos de Phagicola sp. e dicreto aumento da quantidade de eosinofilos (8 por cento) no hemograma. A paciente admitiu a ingestao de pedacos crus da tainha (Mugil sp.), em diversas ocasioes, durante sua permanencia em Cananeia. O tratamento com praziquantel (75 mg/Kg/dia/3 dias) resultou em cura clinica e parasitologica. Nao existem outros relatos de parasitismo humano por Phagicola sp. no Brasil. Em outros paises, cuidadosa revisao da literatura nao logrou encontrar referencias de acometimento humano, salvo vaga citacao acerca da possivel ocorrencia de alguns casos no sudeste dos Estados Unidos da America do Norte

Human parasitism by Phagicola sp (Trematoda, Heterophyidae) in Cananéia, São Paulo state, Brazil.

We report one case of parasitism by Phagicola sp. (Trematoda, Heterophyidae) in a 31 year-old woman who, in 1987, travelled and stayed several months in the municipality of Cananéia (SP), where she ingested, in various occasions, raw mullet (Mugil sp.). The patient referred mild intestinal pain and laboratory examinations showed eggs of Phagicola sp. in the stools and a slight increase in eosinophil blood levels (8%). After treatment with praziquantel (75 mg/kg per day for three days) all the symptoms and signs disappeared. This is, certainly, the first record of human infection by Phagicola sp. in Brazil and, perhaps, in countries other than the U.S.A. where unclear references to a few human cases were reported in the South-eastern region.

Capillaria hepatica (Bancroft, 1893) em murideos capturados no municipio de Sao Paulo, SP, Brasil. / Capillaria hepatica (Bancroft, 1893) in Muridae trapped in the municipality of Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil

Durante o periodo compreendido entre maio de 1977 e agosto de 1979, necropsiaram-se 205 murideos (191 Rattus norvegicus e 14 R.rattus), capturados vivos no municipio de Sao Paulo, encontrando-se 120 (59%) parasitados por Capillaria hepatica. Nao se verificou influencia do sexo do hospedeiro na prevalencia do parasita; todavia, quando se considerou o peso (idade) dos animais capturados, notou-se que a frequencia de infeccao aumenta significativamente com o peso do hospedeiro. A quantidade de ovos retidos no parenquima hepatico do hospedeiro tambem aumenta com o peso (idade), porem nao obedece a mesma proporcionalidade. Entre os animais parasitados, 32 (26%) apresentaram eliminacao fecal de ovos do parasita, que se tornou mais frequente no grupo de maior peso. Sugere-se que a eliminacao de ovos pelo tubo digestivo do hospedeiro possa apresentar alguma importancia na dinamica de transmissao do parasita