Abstract

GUERRERO HERNANDEZ, María Teresa et al. Intestinal parasitosis and feces excretion alternatives in municipalities characterized by high marginality. Rev. cub. salud pública [online]. 2008, vol.34, n.2, pp. 0-0. ISSN 0864-3466.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0864-34662008000200009.

Introduction: Diarrheal diseases and intestinal parasitosis are still public health problems worldwide, being the children the most vulnerable. In the Mexican rural setting, crowded conditions, shortage of drinking water and of appropriate drainage system have deteriorated in a permanent way the population's health status, a situation that becomes more acute in high marginality areas. Objectives: To identify the prevalence of intestinal parasitosis and the technological alternatives of feces excretion in 9 municipalities with high marginality index. Methods: A coproparasitoscopic study was conducted in 621 school children; the samples were examined by kato-kats method for helminths. Basic sanitary conditions, dwelling, incidence of diarrheas and excretion of intestinal parasites during the last two months were studied. Results: Intestinal parasitosis incidence was 30 %, 22. 3% was positive to protozoos and 7.9 % to geohelmints. The most common protozoa were entamoeba histolytica accounting for 10.5 % and Giardia lamblia for 8.1 %. Among geohelmints, Ascaris lumbricoides with 6.0 %. Half of these children´s mothers were illiterate; 81.4 % of parents were farmers and labourers, 46.7 % lived in one or two-room houses, 40 % of houses had palm roof and 63 % had their floor made of soil. Of the total number of studied children, 75.7 % had excreted parasites and one out of three stated that at least one sibling had also excreted parasites in the same period of time. Of the total amount of children presented with diarrheas, 68.8 % defecated in traditional latrines and 5.6 % did in dry ecological toilets. Conclusions: Prevalence of intestinal parasitosis in municipalities with high marginality index resulted from poverty conditions and the lack of basic services.

Keywords : Intestinal parasitosis; feces excretion; basic sanitation; dry ecological toilet.