Journal of
Parasitology and Vector Biology

  • Abbreviation: J. Parasitol. Vector Biol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 2141-2510
  • DOI: 10.5897/JPVB
  • Start Year: 2009
  • Published Articles: 204

Full Length Research Paper

Prevalence and risk factors associated with intestinal parasites in a rural community of central Mexico

Diego Emiliano Jimenez-Gonzalez1, Karina Marquez-Rodriguez1, Jose Maria Rodriguez2, Xavier Gonzales3, Joe Oxford3, Roland Sanchez3, Simon Kawa-Karasik1, Ana Flisser4 and Pablo Maravilla1*  
1Department of Molecular Epidemiology, General Hospital “Dr. Manuel Gea Gonzalez”, Mexico 14080 DF, Mexico. 2State Ministry of Health, Morelos Mexico. 3International Program, Texas A and M University, College Station, TX. 4Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico 04510 DF, Mexico
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 27 August 2009
  •  Published: 31 August 2009

Abstract

Inhabitants of a rural community in Mexico were analyzed for intestinal parasites, 34% of the 115 people studied were positive by Faust’s technique; stream water was also analyzed for parasites, 4/7 sites were positive and these were located near the natural source of drinking water. A questionnaire with social, health and demographic variables was applied to heads of households in search of associations with intestinal parasites. Statistical significant data were having had parasites in the past, being less than 13 years of age and eating unwashed food. A dendogram of Euclidian distances showed two clades; one associated to protection and the other one to risk. Unfortunately, the prevalence of protozoa found in the present study has not changed from previous reports obtained in other rural communities of central Mexico. Our results suggest that health authorities should incorporate health education, anti-protozoa drugs and clean natural water sources as part of the control programs.

Key words: Community study, intestinal parasites, rural Mexico.