Intestinal parasites in immigrants in the city of Naples (southern Italy)

[Display omitted] ▶ Health screening of immigrant populations is needed to ensure early diagnosis and treatment. ▶ A cross-sectional copromicroscopic survey of helminths and intestinal protozoa in immigrants in Naples (southern Italy) was conducted. ▶ A total of 514 immigrants were tested comparing...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Acta tropica Vol. 117; no. 3; pp. 196 - 201
Main Authors:	Gualdieri, L., Rinaldi, L., Petrullo, L., Morgoglione, M.E., Maurelli, M.P., Musella, V., Piemonte, M., Caravano, L., Coppola, M.G., Cringoli, G.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Oxford Elsevier B.V 01-03-2011 Elsevier
Subjects:	Acetates - chemistry Adolescent Adult Aged Ancylostomatoidea - parasitology Animals Ascaris Ascaris lumbricoides Ascaris lumbricoides - parasitology Biological and medical sciences Blastocystis hominis Blastocystis hominis - parasitology Child Child, Preschool Cross-Sectional Studies Dicrocoelium dendriticum Emigrants and Immigrants Entamoeba dispar Entamoeba histolytica Entamoeba histolytica - parasitology Entamoeba moshkovskii Enterobius vermicularis epidemiology ethyl acetate Feces - parasitology Female FLOTAC General aspects Giardia duodenalis Giardia lamblia Giardia lamblia - parasitology health services Helminths hookworms Humans Hymenolepis nana Immigrants immigration Infant Infectious diseases Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic - diagnosis Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic - epidemiology Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic - parasitology Italy Male Medical sciences Middle Aged Naples Parasitic diseases parasitoses Prevalence Protozoa Public Health Schistosoma mansoni Strongyloides stercoralis surveys Taenia Trichostrongylus Trichuris - parasitology Trichuris trichiura Young Adult Italy Europe Italy, Campania, Napoli Naples Protozoa Italy FLOTAC Immigrants Helminths Immigrant Helmintha Digestive diseases Intestinal disease Tropical medicine Intestinal parasitosis Invertebrata
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Summary:	[Display omitted] ▶ Health screening of immigrant populations is needed to ensure early diagnosis and treatment. ▶ A cross-sectional copromicroscopic survey of helminths and intestinal protozoa in immigrants in Naples (southern Italy) was conducted. ▶ A total of 514 immigrants were tested comparing the FLOTAC dual technique and the ethyl acetate concentration technique. ▶ Combined results of the two techniques revealed an overall prevalence of parasitic infections of 61.9%. ▶ FLOTAC technique detected a higher number of positive results than the ethyl acetate concentration technique. The present study was aimed at carrying out a cross-sectional copromicroscopic survey of helminths and intestinal protozoa in immigrants in Naples (southern Italy). Between October 2008 and November 2009, a total of 514 immigrants were tested comparing the FLOTAC dual technique and the ethyl acetate concentration technique. Combined results of the two techniques served as a diagnostic ‘gold’ standard and revealed an overall prevalence of parasitic infections of 61.9% (318/514). The ethyl acetate concentration technique detected a low number of positive results (49.0%) and this was confirmed for each helminth/protozoa species detected. Among helminths, Trichuris trichiura (3.9%), hookworms (3.7%) and Ascaris lumbricoides (1.4%) were the most prevalent. Strongyloides stercoralis (0.4%), Enterobius vermicularis (0.4%), Schistosoma mansoni (1.0%), Hymenolepis nana (1.6%) and Taenia spp. (0.2%) were also found, as well as zoonotic helminths, as Trichostrongylus spp. (0.8%) and Dicrocoelium dendriticum (0.8%). As regard to pathogenic protozoa, Blastocystis hominis was the most commonly detected (52.7%), followed by Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar/Entamoeba moshkovskii (11.9%) and Giardia duodenalis (4.5%). Several issues concerning diagnosis, epidemiology and public health impact of parasitic infections in immigrants are offered for discussion. In conclusion, the present paper pointed out the need of better diagnosis and cure of the immigrants population in order to improve access to health care of this neglected and marginalised population group, for its own protection and care.
Bibliography:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2010.12.003 ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	0001-706X 1873-6254
DOI:	10.1016/j.actatropica.2010.12.003