Urban versus rural prevalence of intestinal parasites using multi-parallel qPCR in Colombia

Abstract

AbstractStool samples from 122 children from urban slum (n = 72) and rural (n = 50) areas were analyzed using multi-parallel real-time qPCR to determine the prevalence of intestinal 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% Giardia intestinalis, 20% Entamoeba histolytica, 50% Ascaris lumbricoides, 46% Trichuris trichiura and 2% Strongyloides stercoralis in rural areas. Polyparasitism was higher in rural (58%) compared to urban (25%) areas (p = 0.001). Trichuris trichiura burden was higher in the rural area (p = 0.002). Over 40% of helminth infections in rural areas had a heavy parasite burden by WHO classification. Over half of urban and rural children were infected with Giardia intestinalis and Blastocystis spp. Our data provides accurate epidemiologic surveillance for public health interventions.