INTESTINAL PARASITES AND MALNUTRITION

In tropical countries, there is a striking contrast between the high p revalence of asymptomatic carriers of intestinal parasites and the low prevalence of diarrhea directly caused by parasitic infections in chi ldren with normal growth. Several studies conducted in Gabon in infant s under two years of age have demonstrated that digestive tract coloni zation by parasites occurs at a very early age regardless of nutrition al status. Children with malnutrition have an increased likelihood of developing parasite-induced diarrhea, which is usually a chronic disor der caused by Giardia lamblia, Strongyloides, or Cryptosporidium. Maln utrition-related immunosuppression may cause a host-parasite imbalance which may exacerbate the pathogenic potential of intestinal parasites .