Giardia lamblia infections in children in Ghana

Abstract

IntroductionThough giardiasis is an important public health problem in Ghana, several aspects of its epidemiology, particularly the molecular epidemiology has not been investigated adequately. This could be a major hindrance to effective surveillance and control of giardiasis in the country. The study was carried out to determine the prevalence, risk factors and genotypes of Giardia lamblia infecting children at a paediatric hospital in Ghana.MethodsA total of 485 patients including 365 diarrhoea and 120 non-diarrhoea children were enrolled into the study. Stool samples were collected and analysed for parasite presence using microscopy, ELISA and PCR. Positive samples were subsequently characterized into assemblages by PCR-RFLP, and further confirmed with sequencing of the glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh) gene. Epidemiological data on demographic, clinical and behavioral features of the study subjects were also collected.ResultsPrevalence of G. lamblia infections in diarrhoea and non-diarrhoea children were 5.8% and 5% respectively (P>0.5). Sequence data confirmed Giardia lamblia assemblage B as the predominant genotype in both diarrhoea and non-diarrhoea cases. There was no significant association of G. lamblia infection with any of the epidemiological variables investigated.ConclusionOur findings suggest that assemblage B could be the predominant genotype causing giardiasis in children. Increased public health education focusing on good sanitary practices, particularly among mothers and children, could decrease the risk of G. lamblia infection.

Giardiasis in children: molecular genotyping, growth and calprotectin levels

“…Laboratories should be encouraged to regularly test everyone, regardless of the area of residence, for diagnosis of this forgotten pathogen, to ensure that the cases of infection in the habitat are properly identified and effectively cured 10 . However, giardiasis is the most spread in developing countries 11,12 . G. duodenalis organisms have been sub-classified into eight genetic assemblages (designated A-H).…”

Molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in farmers and their ruminant livestock from the Coastal Savannah zone of Ghana

“…Squire and Ryan, 2017). Little however, is known about the molecular epidemiology of these diseases in humans and livestock in Ghana, with genotyping studies to date confined to children (Anim-Baidoo et al, 2015;Eibach et al, 2015;Anim-Baidoo et al, 2016). Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the species and subtypes of Cryptosporidium and Giardia infecting farmers and their ruminant livestock in Ghana to better understand the transmission dynamics of these parasites in this country.…”

Giardia Invasion – Seroimmunological Studies in Patients With Allergic Diseases Over a Ten-Year Period

“…В целом преобладали СПС с низкими значениями КП -64,5 % (49,2-75,3 %%) для СА, 52,0 % для АМ (48-77,8 %%), что отражает как низкий уровень напряженности иммунитета к возбудителю [5,6,14,16],так и снижение интенсивности инвазий в современных условиях [4,13]. СПС со средними значениями КП составили в среднем для СА 24,1 % (15,1-28,1 %%), для АМ 22,3% (11,1-28,5 %%).…”

“…Анализ структуры потока CПС по возрастному фактору выявил преобладание повышенных уровней к СА среди детского контингента-59 % (группы 1, 2, 3, 4), по сравнению с взрослыми пациентами -41 % (группы 5, 6,7 , p<0,05). Полученные данные согласуются с результатами эпидемиологических исследований, показывающих, что заболеваемость лямблиозом в детской популяции наблюдается значительно чаще [2,4,11,16]. Особый интерес в аспекте АЗ представляет ранний детский возраст (до 1 года), когда происходит старт атопического марша.…”