ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To compare the incidence of intestinal parasitosis between children with residence in urban and rural areas: to compare the efficacy of parasitologic diagnostic methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In our study we included two lots of children. The first lot consisted in 74 children from rural areas from which we collected 44 samples of feces and 55 samples for the "Scotch tape" test. The second lot consisted in 214 children from urban areas from which we collected 44 samples of feces. We examined each sample of feces by three different methods. The study was performed between April to June 2006. RESULTS: The incidence of intestinal parasitosis increases in children from urban areas towards rural areas, and in children between 5 and 10 years. Ascariasis is the most frequent disease in both urban and rural areas. By examination of each fecal sample by three different methods, the number of positive cases increased. CONCLUSIONS: The residence in rural areas and age between 5 to 10 years are risk factors for intestinal parasitosis. The "Scotch tape" test was more efficient in Enterobius vermicularis infection than the methods performed from feces. We recommend using at the same time three diagnostic methods for feces examination to improve the diagnostic sensibility.
Subject(s)
Feces/parasitology , Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/diagnosis , Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/epidemiology , Rural Population/statistics & numerical data , Urban Population/statistics & numerical data , Adolescent , Age Factors , Ascariasis/diagnosis , Ascariasis/epidemiology , Child , Child, Preschool , Enterobiasis/diagnosis , Enterobiasis/epidemiology , Female , Humans , Incidence , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/parasitology , Male , Poverty , Retrospective Studies , Risk Factors , Romania/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Leptospirosis is a major public health problem throughout the world. We studied 22 cases of leptospirosis. They were hospitalised between 1999-2003. Men were more affected than women and those with rural origin prevailed, too. The direct infection was more often found in these cases. These patients presented a large spectrum of signs and symptoms attributable to this spirochetal pathogen. The etiology was dominated by L. pomona, L. canicola, L. wolffi. Leptospirosis presented with 3 syndromes: Weil's syndrome, atypical pneumonia syndrome and aseptic meningitis. The adequate treatment was with penicillin or ampicillin i.v.
