Prevalence and subtype distribution of Blastocystis sp. infecting children from a rural community in Panama

Perea, Milixa; Vásquez, Vanessa; Pineda, Vanessa; Samudio, Franklyn; Calzada, José E.; Saldaña, Azäel

doi:10.1016/j.parepi.2020.e00139

Cited by 14 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…The majority of studies in this age group are microscopy-based; hence, subtyping information is relatively sparse [46][47][48]. In these studies, ST1-ST3 were the most commonly detected, following the global trend [49][50][51][52]. ST6 and ST7 have also been identified, most prominently in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), but with lower carriage [44,[53][54][55].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Circulation and colonisation ofBlastocystissubtypes in schoolchildren of various ethnicities in rural northern Thailand

McCain¹,

Gruneck²,

Popluechai³

et al. 2023

Epidemiol. Infect.

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Blastocystis is a protist of controversial pathogenicity inhabiting the gut of humans and other animals. Despite a century of intense study, understanding of the epidemiology of Blastocystis remains fragmentary. Here, we aimed to explore its prevalence, stability of colonisation and association with various factors in a rural elementary school in northern Thailand. One hundred and forty faecal samples were collected from 104 children at two time points (tp) 105 days apart. For tp2, samples were also obtained from 15 animals residing on campus and seven water locations. Prevalence in children was 67% at tp1 and 89% at tp2, 63% in chickens, 86% in pigs, and 57% in water. Ten STs were identified, two of which were shared between humans and animals, one between animals and water, and three between humans and water. Eighteen children (out of 36) carried the same ST over both time points, indicating stable colonisation. Presence of Blastocystis (or ST) was not associated with body mass index, ethnicity, birth delivery mode, or milk source as an infant. This study advances understanding of Blastocystis prevalence in an understudied age group, the role of the environment in transmission, and the ability of specific STs to stably colonise children.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Circulation and colonisation ofBlastocystissubtypes in schoolchildren of various ethnicities in rural northern Thailand

McCain¹,

Gruneck²,

Popluechai³

et al. 2023

Epidemiol. Infect.

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“…There was no difference in Blastocystis prevalence between the control and patient groups (Mormeneo Bayo et al 2022). In contrast, some studies reported a positive correlation between Blastocystis and chronic abdominal pain (Légeret et al 2020) and diarrhea (Perea et al 2020) Sarzhanov et al 2021). In the current study, ST1 was noticeably higher in the children, although the distribution of the subtype did not statistically differ between the patient and control groups.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Investigation of intestinal parasites by conventional and molecular methods in children with gastrointestinal system complaints

Özkan-Ahmetoğlu¹,

Demirel

Taşar³

et al. 2023

Parasitol Res

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Background and aims:Intestinal parasitic infections are a global health problem that causes morbidity and mortality, especially in children living in rural areas. In this study, stool samples of pediatric patients with gastrointestinal complaints were examined by conventional and molecular methods to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites. Methods:A total of 100 pediatric patients with gastrointestinal complaints and 50 healthy children were included in the study. Stool samples were collected from each child and examined by direct microscopic examination (native-Lugol method), formol-ethyl acetate concentration technique, Kinyoun's acid-fast staining, and Wheatley trichrome staining methods. Real-time PCR was used for the detection of Blastocystis sp. and D. fragilisin the stool samples. Sanger sequencing was used to identify Blastocystissp. subtypes. Results:One or more intestinal parasites were found in 12% (n=100) of the patient group and 1% (n=50) of the control group using conventional techniques. By using real-time PCR, Blastocystis sp. was discovered in 14% (14/100) of the patient group and 4% (4/50) of the control group. There was no signi cant difference in the frequency of Blastocystis sp. between the two groups. The most prevalent Blastocystissubtype was ST1 and the most frequent allele was a2 among the samples successfully ampli ed and sequenced. D. fragilis was detected in 17% (17/100) of the patient group and 8% (4/50) of the control group by real-time PCR. The prevalence of D. fragiliswas not signi cantly different between the patient and control groups, as well. Conclusions:Blastocystis sp. and D. fragilis were found in high prevalence in pediatric patients with gastrointestinal complaints in this study. Although the role of these protists as a pathogen in humans is still controversial, it is supposed to the presence of the parasites are associated with gastrointestinal disorders such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. More case-control studies are needed to understand the pathogenic or commensal role of these parasites on the intestinal microbiota, especially in both patients with gastrointestinal disorders and healthy individuals.

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“…Internationally, the existing information suggests that this infection is more prevalent in developing countries with prevalence ranging from 6.52% to 100%. [ 8 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 ]…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blastocystis spp. infection in cases of diarrhea

Jha

Gupta

Bhatia

2021

Tropical Parasitology

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Context: Intestinal parasitic infections (IPI) are among the most common infections throughout the world. Blastocystis spp. is a mysterious parasite which is commonly encountered in tropical countries. Its pathogenic status is unknown and there is a paucity of literature about this organism from the state of Uttarakhand, India. Aims: The aim was to estimate the prevalence of Blastocystis spp. in diarrheal stools. Settings and Design: This was a cross-sectional study conducted from January 2018 to July 2019. Subjects and Methods: Nonrepetitive stool samples of 187 consecutive patients of diarrhea attending the inpatient department and outpatient department of a tertiary care teaching hospital located in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, were collected after obtaining informed written consent. These samples were subjected to wet mount microscopy and permanent staining. Statistical Analysis Used: Fisher's exact test and Kappa coefficient were used in this study. Results: The mean age ± standard deviation of the patients was 36.04 ± 11.31 years with a male-to-female ratio of 1.49:1. The prevalence of IPI was 36.09%. Giardia intestinalis was the most common parasite. Blastocystis spp. was observed in 6.42% of the stool samples, majority of which were obtained from cases of chronic diarrhea. Moderate agreement (0.48) was observed between wet mount microscopy and permanent staining in the identification of Blastocystis spp. Conclusions: This is the first study to assess the burden and role of different epidemiological and clinical profiles of Blastocystis spp. in Uttarakhand. More studies are required to know its pathogenesis and its role as opportunistic pathogen.

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Prevalence and subtype distribution of Blastocystis sp. infecting children from a rural community in Panama

Cited by 14 publications

References 59 publications

Circulation and colonisation ofBlastocystissubtypes in schoolchildren of various ethnicities in rural northern Thailand

Circulation and colonisation ofBlastocystissubtypes in schoolchildren of various ethnicities in rural northern Thailand

Investigation of intestinal parasites by conventional and molecular methods in children with gastrointestinal system complaints

Blastocystis spp. infection in cases of diarrhea

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