Helminths and nutritional status in Jamaica toddlers - abstract
West Indian med. j
; 36(Suppl): 15, April, 1987.
Article
em En
| MedCarib
| ID: med-6035
Biblioteca responsável:
JM3.1
Localização: JM3.1; R18.W4
ABSTRACT
Malnutrition, ascariasis and trichuriasis are prevalent and co-exist among the poor. However, the nature of the relationship between nutritional status and helminthiasis remains unclear. We therefore compared the prevalence and intensity of infection with Trichuris trichuria and Ascaris lumbricoides in 11 to 25-month-old children in two groups from the same slum communities in Kingston, Jamaica. One group comprised 66 malnourished children (<90 percent weight-for-age) and the other 55 well-nourished children (<90 percent weight-for-age). Both groups of children had similar mean ages, comprised similar proportions of boys and girls and had similar socio-economic status. Duplicate faecal specimens were examined twice, using the Kato thick Smear technique. Infected children were treated with mebendazole (Janssen, Pharmaceuticals). Helminths occurred with similar prevalence among the well-nourished (38 percent) and the malnourished (44 percent) children. However, the prevalence was highest in the mildly wasted children (57 percent, n=30) and least in the moderately/severely wasted children (15 percent, p<0.05). Similar patterns were observed for both Ascaris and Trichuris. In both groups, the presence of helminths was positively associated with age (Xý = 10.7, p<0.05), acess to water (Xý = 9.1, p<0.05)and geophagia(Xý = 4.2, p<0.05). These results show that nutritional status alters the host-parasite relationship. Perhaps mild malnutrition increases whereas more severe malnutrition decreases susceptibility to helminths, as Bundy and Golden (Parasitolgy, 1987) have suggested (AU)
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Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MedCarib
Assunto principal:
Estado Nutricional
/
Helmintos
Tipo de estudo:
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Child, preschool
/
Humans
País/Região como assunto:
Caribe ingles
/
Jamaica
Idioma:
En
Revista:
West Indian med. j
Ano de publicação:
1987
Tipo de documento:
Article
/
Congress and conference