Prevalence of enteroparasites in a residence for children in the Cordoba Province, Argentina

A study of the prevalence of enteroparasites in a population belonging to a substitute home that gives shelter to orphaned and homeless children was d one using conventional methods of analysis. This home is located in Cordoba Province, Argentina, and has the following characteristics: It has nine ho uses located inside the main plot of ground, that shelter 139 individuals, and 25 houses outside this plot distributed randomly in Unquillo city and t hat shelter 257 individuals. The overall parasitic infection, pathogen and commensal organisms included, yielded 84.8% and the prevalence of the most important parasites was: Enterobius vermicularis (43.4%), Giardia lamblia ( 23.0%), Ascaris lumbricoides (13.1%), Entamoeba coli (45.5%), Blastocystis hominis (44.4%) and Endolimax nana (34.6%). We also analyzed the population dividing it according to the residence place (inside or outside the plot), age and sex of the individuals. In reference to the location of the patien ts, A. lumbricoides and E. coli showed significant prevalence in the indivi duals living inside the plot (p < 0.001 and p < 0.005, respectively) and of B. hominis in those living outside the main plot (p < 0.005). Results indi cated a greater parasitism level in the outside residents (61.5%, p < 0.001 ). When the individuals were studied according to sex, no significant diffe rence was observed, except for E. vermicularis that showed greater prevalen ce in the male sex (p < 0.04). When the individuals were grouped according to age ranges, a greater prevalence in individuals from 5 to 14 years was n oticed (p < 0.01). In this study is also included an analysis of the multip arasitism level that comprises the whole population.