PRESENCE OF VERY HIGH PREVALENCE AND INTENSITY OF INFECTION WITH FASCIOLA-HEPATICA AMONG AYMARA CHILDREN FROM THE NORTHERN BOLIVIAN ALTIPLANO

Coprological studies of school children from four communities in the N orthern Bolivian Altiplano were carried out in order to estimate the p revalences and intensities of Fasciola hepatica infection. Single stoo l specimens were collected at random from 558 school children (308 boy s and 250 girls) aged 5-19 years old. Nineteen different parasite spec ies (13 protozoan and six helminths) were detected. Of the children ex amined, 98.7% (96.5-100%) presented infection with at least one parasi te species. The mean prevalence of 27.6% by Fasciola hepatica (range, 5.9-38.2%) was the highest not only with respect to the helminth speci es found in the Northern Bolivian Altiplano but also among the fasciol osis prevalences reported in children in other parts of the world to d ate. Prevalences were significantly different among the communities su rveyed and was significantly higher in the 9-12 years age group. There were, however, no significant differences between sexes. Among the 15 4 children presenting F. hepatica eggs in stools, intensities ranged f rom 24-5064 eggs per gram of faeces (epg), with arithmetic and geometr ic means of 474 and 201 epg, respectively. Significant differences in mean egg output were detected between communities, sexes and age group s. Individual fasciolosis infections coexisting with other pathogenic parasite species (Entamoeba histolytica and/or E. dispar, Giardia inte stinalis, Balantidium coli, Dientamoeba fragilis, Cryptosporidium sp., Hymenolepis nana, Taenia spp., Trichuris trichiura, Ascaris lumbricoi des and Enterobius vermicularis) were detected. A significant positive association with F. hepatica was only found in the case of G. intesti nalis. This coprological study not only verifies the existence of high prevalences of F. hepatica among humans in the Northern Bolivian Alti plano, but also demonstrates the need to expand the Southern boundarie s of this high endemic zone to include the Southeastern region of Lake Titicaca. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.