Prevalence of Intestinal Parasites in Children Living in Various Living Conditions in Slovakia

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to identify the prevalence of intestinal parasites among the children (aged ≤ 18 years) living in various living conditions in the Eastern Slovakia. Their faecal samples were examined applying the flotation concentration technique to verify the presence of helminth eggs and cysts of protozoan parasites. The evidence of Enterobius vermicularis pinworm was obtained using the perianal tape test. The diagnostics of the Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts was carried out applying the Kinyoun staining technique. The examined faecal samples were collected from 565 children living in Medzev (340 Roma children from the segregated Roma settlement; 123 children from the majority population; 33 children from the orphanage; 35 children from the elementary school; and 34 children from the kindergarten). They were divided into 5 age subgroups. In children from the segregated Roma settlement, the eggs of six helminth species: Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, Ancylostomatidae family, Hymenolepis nana, Taenia spp., Enterobius vermicularis and two protozoan species: Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. were detected. The highest number of positive samples was observed in the group of children aged 6-9 years. In the majority group of children, the

Parasitic zoonoses in the Roma population

“…17 Compared to non-Roma children, Roma children living in settlements were more frequently infected (14.1% vs. 1.6%). 16 Additionally, G. duodenalis was detected in 8.3% of stool samples taken from the children living in village with predominantly Roma residents, whereas in a village where most of the residents were of Slovak general population, no positive samples were detected. 22 Trichinella spp.…”

“…Cryptosporidium infection has a high prevalence among Roma children living in Eastern Slovakia settlements (44.4%). 15 On the other hand, studies conducted in 2016 and 2017 revealed a much lower prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection among Roma children, 1.2% 16 and 3.3%, respectively. 17 A comparative study on the prevalence of Cryptosporidium showed a 12-fold higher risk of infection in Slovakian Roma children versus non-Roma.…”

“…The prevalence of A. lumbricoides in a group of Roma children was 49.4%, while in the non-Roma group it was 0.8%. 16 Trichuris trichiura T. trichiura was detected in 17.3% of stool samples taken from healthy Roma children living in Eastern Slovakia. Prevalence was higher in children aged six to nine years.…”

“…22 In a study from 2016, the prevalence among Roma children living in Košice region was 14.1%, while no positive samples were found in the non-Roma group. 16…”

“…(0.8%) was found, while no cases of Ancylostomatidae and H. nana were detected. 16 In a study that included 81 healthy Roma children living in Eastern Slovakia, 56.8% of stool samples were positive for some of the intestinal parasites. Taenia spp.…”