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Clinical status and parasitic infection in a Wichi Aboriginal community in Salta,Argentina

2003; Oxford University Press; Volume: 97; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0035-9203(03)80026-3

1878-3503

N. J. Taranto, Silvana P. Cajal, Mauricio C. De Marzi, Marisa M. Fernández, Fernanda M. Frank, AnaM. Bru, M.C. Minvielle, Juan Ángel Basualdo Farjat, Emilio L. Malchiodi,

Parasites and Host Interactions

In a study, carried out in 2000, of the clinical and parasitological status of a Wichi Aboriginal community living in the suburbs of Tartagal, northern Salta, Argentina, 154 individuals were screened for parasitic infections. Ninety-five faecal samples were also obtained from the same population. Ninety-three percent of the subjects were positive for 1 or more of the parasites investigated by direct test and 70.5% of them had parasitic superinfection. The most frequent helminths were Strongyloides stercoralis (50.5%) and hookworm (47.4%). We found low reinfection rates and a long reinfection period after treatment and provision of safe water and sanitation. Serum reactivity of these patients was analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and indirect immunofluorescent assay and 22.1% of them had anti-Toxocara antibodies, 16.2% were positive for a complex antigen of Leishmania braziliensis, 29.9% were positive for a complex Trypanosoma cruzi antigen, and 17.5% were positive for a specific Trypanosoma cruzi antigen, Ag1 63136/cruzipain.