Objectives To determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with intestinal parasites in the population of San Juan Cosala, Jalisco, Mexico. Methods A total of 277 samples from 104 participants were analysed using direct smear, flotation, formaldehyde/ethyl acetate, and modified Kinyoun’s acid-fast stain methods. The Graham method was applied only for samples from children under 12 years of age for the diagnosis of Enterobius vermicularis. Results The prevalence of parasite infections in the study population was 77.9% including: Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar/E. moshkovskii/E. bangladeshi (37.5%), Giardia intestinalis (11.5%); commensals: Endolimax nana (44.2%), Entamoeba coli (27.9%), Chilomastix mesnili (6.7%) and Iodamoeba bütschlii , (2.9%); emerging intestinal protozoans: Blastocystis spp. (49%), Cryptosporidium spp. (7.7%) and Cyclospora cayetanensis (2.9%); and helminths: Enterobius vermicularis (18.3%) and Ascaris lumbricoides (5.8%). The results also showed that 58.64% of the studied population presented polyparasitism. A significant association was found between protozoan infections and housewives, and houses that were not built with concrete ceilings, brick walls and cement floors ( p < 0.05). Conclusion Polyparasitism was observed in over half the study population. The most prevalent parasite was Blastocystis spp, whilst the prevalence of helminths was less than that of protozoans. The risk factors for infection to intestinal parasites were being a housewife and not having solid brick, cement and concrete materials for house construction.

The diagnosis of toxoplasmosis is of great importance due to the damage caused by this parasite in immunosuppressed people or in pregnant women, the diagnosis of an active toxoplasmosis represents a sign to initiate a pharmacological treatment immediately. The diagnosis of Toxoplasma can be performed with direct methods through intraperitoneal inoculation of serum or cerebrospinal luid, in susceptible mice evaluating the survival and detection of tachyzoites of biological samples. Indirect methods detecting the IgM and IgG isotypes against Toxoplasma have been the tools mostly used and had leaded to discriminate between an active and acute, from a chronic toxoplasmosis. Molecular methods actually Toxoplasma-DNA identiication by molecular biology tests like the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) allow the direct detection of the parasite. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLPs) have been used to identify three strain linages (type I, II and III). Recently, a high-resolution melting method was described to determine the genotype of the infection by Toxoplasma gondii directly from biological samples.