Elaine Pittner

Spatial distribution of enteroparasites among school children from Guarapuava, State of Paraná, Brazil

The most common infections in human beings are caused by intestinal parasites. They can lead to a number of harmful effects, which could include, among others, intestinal obstruction, malnutrition, iron deficiency anemia, diarrhea, and poor absorption. In Brazil, enteroparasites are one of the main public health issues. The present study aims at analyzing the distribution and frequency of enteroparasite occurrence in 635 children from seven community schools in the city of Guarapuava, Parana (PR). In addition, we used similarity and diversity indices to analyze the parasite community. We found 475 samples with at least one parasite showing that 75.27% of children had enteroparasites. A smaller fraction (26.73%) of children harbored several parasites (multiparasitism), especially Giardia duodenalis (56%), and Ascaris lumbricoides (18%). Statistical analysis showed that three (out of seven) children communities had higher similarity in frequency and amount of parasites. Our results suggest that the children studied were highly infected by enteroparasites. These levels of infestation could be related to several factors, such as climate, social and economic conditions and characteristics of the parasites.

Detecção de casos novos de hanseníase no município de Prudentópolis, PR: uma análise de 1998 a 2005

The aim of this study was to evaluate the detection of new cases of leprosy in Prudentópolis, State of Paraná, from 1998 to 2005. Additionally, we investigated the age group and predominant clinical form of leprosy cases. Data were obtained from clinical-epidemiological records of confirmed leprosy cases that were notified in the Information System for Notifiable Diseases, between 1998 and 2005. Over this period, 222 leprosy cases were notified, of which 63% presented the multibacillary form, with predominance of the Virchow clinical form, thus indicating a process of intense disease transmission. Among these leprosy cases, 35% of the patients were at an economically active age (31 to 45 years old). These indicators showed that there was a high level of bacillus circulation in the community, considering that one risk factor for infection by the bacillus Mycobacterium leprae is contact with untreated individuals who have the multibacillary form. This is despite the drastic reduction in leprosy prevalence over the last two decades, through the implementation of polychemotherapy and other preventive measures.