Urban versus Rural Prevalence of Intestinal Parasites Using Multi-Parallel qPCR in Colombia

Patricia E. Bryan Laboratory of Human Parasitology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas;

Search for other papers by Patricia E. Bryan in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Marcela Romero Instituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical, Universidad CES, Medellín, Colombia

Search for other papers by Marcela Romero in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Miryan Sánchez Instituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical, Universidad CES, Medellín, Colombia

Search for other papers by Miryan Sánchez in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Giovanny Torres Instituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical, Universidad CES, Medellín, Colombia

Search for other papers by Giovanny Torres in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Wilber Gómez Instituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical, Universidad CES, Medellín, Colombia

Search for other papers by Wilber Gómez in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Marcos Restrepo Instituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical, Universidad CES, Medellín, Colombia

Search for other papers by Marcos Restrepo in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Alejandro Restrepo Laboratory of Human Parasitology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas;
Instituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical, Universidad CES, Medellín, Colombia

Search for other papers by Alejandro Restrepo in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
, and
Rojelio Mejia Laboratory of Human Parasitology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas;

Search for other papers by Rojelio Mejia in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
Restricted access

ABSTRACT

Stool samples from 122 children living in an urban slum (n = 72) and rural (n = 50) areas were analyzed using multi-parallel real-time quantitative PCR to determine intestinal prevalence parasites from two communities in Colombia. Findings indicated a prevalence of 86.1% Blastocystis spp., 62.5% Giardia intestinalis, 19.4% Cryptosporidium spp., 19.4% Ascaris lumbricoides, and 5.6% Trichuris trichiura in an urban slum; and 76% Blastocystis spp., 68% G. intestinalis, 20% Entamoeba histolytica, 50% A. lumbricoides, 46% T. trichiura, and 2% Strongyloides stercoralis in rural areas. Polyparasitism was higher in rural (58%) than urban (25%) areas (P = 0.001). Trichuris trichiura burden was higher in the rural area (P = 0.002). Over 40% of helminthic infections in rural areas had a heavy parasite burden by WHO classification. Over half of urban and rural children were infected with G. intestinalis and Blastocystis spp. Our data provide accurate epidemiologic surveillance for public health interventions.

Author Notes

Address correspondence to Rojelio Mejia, Laboratory of Human Parasitology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, BCM 113, Houston, TX 77030. E-mail: rmejia@bcm.edu

Authors’ addresses: Patricia E. Bryan and Rojelio Mejia, Baylor College of Medicine, National School of Tropical Medicine, Houston, TX, E-mails: patricia.bryan@bcm.edu and rojelio.mejia@bcm.edu. Marcela Romero, Miryan Sánchez, Giovanny Torres, Wilber Gómez, and Marcos Restrepo, Department of Microbiology, Instituto Colombiano de Medicina tropical - Univerisidad CES, Medellín, Colombia, E-mails: iromero@ces.edu.co, msanchez@ces.edu.co, gtorres@ces.edu.co, wgomez@ces.edu.co, and mrestrepoi@gmail.com. Alejandro Restrepo, Baylor College of Medicine, National School of Tropical Medicine, Houston, TX, and Department of Microbiology, Instituto Colombiano de Medicina tropical - Univerisidad CES, Medellín, Colombia, E-mail: alejorpo75@yahoo.com.

These authors contributed equally to this work.

  • 1.

    Nikolay B , Brooker SJ , Pullan RL , 2014. Sensitivity of diagnostic tests for human soil-transmitted helminth infections: a meta-analysis in the absence of a true gold standard. Int J Parasitol 44: 765774.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 2.

    Dunn JC et al. 2020. The increased sensitivity of qPCR in comparison to Kato-Katz is required for the accurate assessment of the prevalence of soil-transmitted helminth infection in settings that have received multiple rounds of mass drug administration. Parasit Vectors 13: 324.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 3.

    Villamizar X , Higuera A , Herrera G , Vasquez-A LR , Buitron L , Muñoz LM , Gonzales-C FE , Lopez MC , Giraldo JC , Ramírez JD , 2019. Molecular and descriptive epidemiology of intestinal protozoan parasites of children and their pets in Cauca, Colombia: a cross-sectional study. BMC Infect Dis 19: 190.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 4.

    Bouwmans MCH , Gaona MA , Chenault MN , Zuluaga C , Pinzón-Rondon ÁM , 2016. Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in preschool-children from vulnerable neighborhoods in Bogotá. Revista de la Universidad Ind de Santander, Salud 48: 178187.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 5.

    García-Montoya GM , Botero-Garces JH , 2018. Giardiasis in Colombia: a review of the current knowledge. Curr Trop Med Rep 5: 154161.

  • 6.

    Carmona-Fonseca J , Botero AMC , 2014. Understanding the social determinants of health/disease: intestinal parasites and malnutrition in the families of Urabá, Colombia. Soc Med 8: 5667.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 7.

    Salcedo-Cifuentes M , Florez O , Bermúdez A , Hernández L , Araujo C , Bolaños MV , 2012. Intestinal parasitism prevalence amongst children from six indigenous communities residing in Cali, Colombia. Rev Salud Pública 14: 156168.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 8.

    Carmona-Fonseca J , Flórez EMA , 2017. Intestinal parasites and “progress”: a case study from Urabá Antioquia (Colombia). Soc Med 11: 3550.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 9.

    Higuera A , Villamizar X , Herrera G , Giraldo JC , Vasquez-A LR , Urbano P , Villalobos O , Tovar C , Ramírez JD , 2020. Molecular detection and genotyping of intestinal protozoa from different biogeographical regions of Colombia. PeerJ 8: e8554.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 10.

    Rivero MR , De Angelo C , Nuñez P , Salas M , Motta CE , Chiaretta A , Salamón OD , Liang S , 2017. Environmental and socio-demographic individual, family and neighborhood factors associated with children intestinal parasitosis at Iguazú, in the subtropical northern border of Argentina. Plos Negl Trop Dis 11: e0006098.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 11.

    Mejia R , Vicuna Y , Broncano N , Sandoval C , Vaca M , Chico M , Cooper PJ , Nutman TB , 2013. A novel, multi-parallel, real-time polymerase chain reaction approach for eight gastrointestinal parasites provides improved diagnostic capabilities to resource-limited at-risk populations. Am J Trop Med Hyg 88: 10411047.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 12.

    Poirier P , Wawrzyniak I , Vivares CP , Delbac F , El Alaoui H , 2012. New insights into Blastocystis spp.: a potential link with irritable bowel syndrome. PLoS Pathog 8: e1002545.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 13.

    Lozano AM , Montoya GG , Díaz ALG , Garces JB , 2009. Prevalencia de parásitos intestinales en niños que asisten al Templo Comedor Sagrado Corazón Teresa Benedicta de la Cruz, del barrio Vallejuelos, Medellín, 2007. IATREIA 22: 227234.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 14.

    Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social, Universidad de Antioquia , 2015. Encuesta nacional de parasitismo intestinal en población escolar 2012–2014. Medellín, Colombia: Facultad Nacional Salud Pública, Universidad de Antioquia. Available at: https://www.minsalud.gov.co/sites/rid/Lists/BibliotecaDigital/RIDE/VS/PP/ET/encuesta-nacional-de-parasitismo-2012-2014.pdf. Accessed September 15, 2020.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 15.

    Hernández PC , Morales L , Chaparro-Olaya J , Sarmiento D , Jaramillo JF , Ordoñez GA , Cortés F , Sánchez LK , 2019. Intestinal parasitic infections and associated factors in children of three rural schools in Colombia: a cross-sectional study. PLoS One 14: e0218681.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 16.

    World Health Organization , 2011. Department of control of neglected tropical diseases. Helminth Control in School-Age Children: a Guide for Managers of Control Programs, 2nd edition. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO. Available at: https://www.who.int/neglected_diseases/resources/9789241548267/en/. Accessed September 15, 2020.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 17.

    Harhay MO , Horton J , Olliaro PL , 2010. Epidemiology and control of human gastrointestinal parasites in children. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 8: 219234.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 18.

    Valencia S , 2016. Socio-environmental vulnerabilities in formal and informal peri-urban Bogotá and Soacha, Colombia. Doctoral dissertation, Lund University, Lund University Digital Archive, Lund, Sweden. Available at: https://portal.research.lu.se/portal/en/publications/caught-between-spaces(1ed39250-a1d9-49aa-86fb-865f24bf18d7).html. Accessed September 15, 2020.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 19.

    Ajeagah G , Wouafo M , Ezenguele G , Nzukam J , 2013. Presence of gastrointestinal parasites in a tropical urban region (Yaoundé, Cameroon). Comp Parasitol 80: 279283.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 20.

    Lucci P , Bhatkal T , Khan A , Berliner T , 2015. What Works in Improving the Living Conditions of Slum Dwellers: A Review of the Evidence across Four Programmes. London, UK: ODI, Overseas Development Institute, Development Progress. Available at: https://www.odi.org/publications/10222-what-works-improving-living-conditions-slum-dwellers-review-evidence-across-four-programmes. Accessed September 15, 2020.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
Past two years Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 1033 99 27
Full Text Views 682 176 0
PDF Downloads 347 97 0
 
Membership Banner
 
 
 
Affiliate Membership Banner
 
 
Research for Health Information Banner
 
 
CLOCKSS
 
 
 
Society Publishers Coalition Banner
Save