Abstract

MUNOZ, Victoria; FRADE, Carlos; CHIPANA, Magui  and  AGUIRRE, Carlos. ELEVADA PREVALENCIA DE BLASTOCYSTIS HOMINIS EN MANIPULADORES DE ALIMENTOS DE LOS MERCADOS PÚBLICOS DE LA ZONA SUD DE LA CIUDAD DE LA PAZ. Cuad. - Hosp. Clín. [online]. 2006, vol.51, n.2, pp.16-24. ISSN 1562-6776.

Objective To determine the prevalence of Blastocystis hominis and other intestinal parasites among food handlers in South markets, La Paz City. Design Cross-sectional descriptive, Participants Food handlers of the Achumani, Corazón de Jesus, 16 de Julio, and la Merced south markets, La Paz City. Place Department of Pathology, Laboratory of Parasitology. Material and methods A serial coproparasitological analysis was performed (3 samples) in 106 food handlers (308 samples) were evaluated by direct examination (saline solution and lugol), modified Ritchie, and simple sedimentation in tube. Results The prevalence of intestinal protozoosis was 89,6%. The detected protozoos was Blastocystis hominis, Giardia duodenalis, Entamoeba coli, Chilomastix mesnili, Endolimax nana, Iodomoeba bütschlii. Retortamonas intestinalis. B. hominis was the most frequently detected protozoa (80,2%). There is absence of helminths. In the 101 women and 5 men, B. hominis was more common in the age range from 26 to 37 years (31,8%) (p>0.05). The sections of groceries, vegetables, food, juices and others, showed prevalences between 29,4% and 12,9%, however, no significant differences were found (p>0.05). Of the 85 food handlers infected with B. hominis, 13 had this parasite only, and in 72 cases B. hominis was associated to other species. The combination was of two, three, and four different species. The most frequent and statistically significant associations (p <0.05) were with the protozoa: E. coli and C. mesnili. Conclusion This is the first time in Bolivia that a highest prevalence of B. hominis is found in a population group, what indicates a high index of fecal contamination. Therefore, this should be a high-priority group to take into account when measures of promoting prevention and control of these parasites are taken in the population, because the food handlers are an epidemically important group for the dissemination of intestinal parasites.

Keywords : Intestinal parasites; Blastocystis hominis; foods handlers; Bolivia.

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