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Worms are still a serious public health issue in the country, being easily transmitted in school-age children because of their immature immune system and the precarious maintenance of a healthy personal hygiene. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of parasites and the socioeconomic profile of the school population of Flores da Cunha, RS. Fecal samples of students were collected for further analysis by the means of spontaneous sedimentation, and questionnaires were applied on the matter of parasites and socioeconomic status to those in charge at the school. Of the 341 samples evaluated, 10.0% were positive, revealing the presence of 55.9% of cysts of Endolimax nana, 26.5% of Entamoeba coli, 5.9% of Iodamoeba butschlii, 2.9% of Ascaris lumbricoides, 2.9% of Giardia lamblia and 5.9% of individuals with multiple parasitosis (Entamoeba coli and Endolimax nana). Most of the school’s people responsible for the matter emphasized that they sought information about worms from health professionals (49.7%), even though 49.9% of the personnel still think the information given is not enough. Regarding the city’s sanitation facilities, 57.2% believe that they have collection and treatment of sewage, 67.2% have some rain storage system, thus preventing accumulations in the area nearby, and 47.2% perform some kind of pest control. Around 79% of the students had never had stool tests or been diagnosed with parasites, and yet 85.9% claimed to have used antiparasitic drugs. The low prevalence of parasites found in this study is explained by the constant use of antiparasitics. Thus, it is important to improve the dissemination of guidelines on the prevention of parasites and the danger of self-medication.

Intestinal parasites are among the most commonly found pathogens in humans and are considered a public health problem. The frequency of intestinal parasites was evaluated in children and staff at two day care centers in the city of Ituiutaba, Brazil and health encouragement activities were developed. For parasite detection in stool samples the Ritchie’s technique and the Hoffman-Pons-Janer, Baermann-Moraes, Willis and Ziehl-Neelsen methods were applied. Of 140 children, 88 (62.9%) were positive, where Giardia intestinalis cysts were present in 65 children (51.1%), Entamoeba coli in 22 (17.3%), Endolimax nana in 12 (9.4%), Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar in 9 (7%), Hymenolepis nana eggs were found in 5 (4%), hookworms in 4 (3.1%), Ascaris lumbricoides and Enterobius vermicularis in 3 (2.3%) and Strongyloides stercoralis, Trichuris trichiura, Cryptosporidium spp. and Iodamoeba butschlii in one child (0.8%). Among the 41 employees examined, 10 (24.3%) were positive, E. coli cysts were found in 6 samples (35.2%) and E. nana in 5 (29.4%), followed by E. histolytica/E. dispar in 4 (23.6%) and G. intestinalis and E. vermicularis eggs in (5.9%). The data show the high frequency of intestinal parasites in fecal samples analyzed and demonstrate the importance of adopting preventive measures such as health and education involving the community.

Enteroparasite infections contribute to the increase of socioeconomic and medical problems. The frequency of these parasites varies according to several factors, as the ecotopes, such as humidity, environmental temperature, deficiency of sanitation, and of the host – age, schooling, hygiene habits and socioeconomic level. The objective of this study was to identify by enteroparasite infection in children of Aguas do Miranda district, municipality of Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul, aiming at treating the cases and obtaining subsides for building a sanitation policy in the region. Coproparasitological exams were carried out in 115 pupils of the Rural Municipal School Aguas do Miranda. The samples were processed by the Blagg Method (MIFC). Forty-eight samples yielded positive (41,7%). The occurrence of protozoa Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica/dispar, Entamoeba coli, Iodamoeba butschlii and Endolimax nana was higher than that of helminthes and Ancilostomids, Strongyloides stercoralis and Hymenolepis nana. The index of parasite infections and/or intestinal commensals points to the necessity of checking the conditions of both the dwellers´ personal hygiene and the sanitation of Aguas do Miranda district, especially the quality of the water consumed by the population.

The aim of this study was to verify the occurrence of Strongyloides stercoralis and other enteroparasites in the rural area of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil, between September 1996 and May 1997, using the Baermann - Moraes and Lutz methods. Out of 180 individuals studied, 92 (51.1%) were infected. Twelve people (6.7%) were infected by S. stercoralis, being five in children with ages between zero and 12 years old and 7 cases older than 12 years old. Other enteroparasites diagnosed were Entamoeba coli (27.2%), Giardia lamblia (10.6%), Hookworm (7.2%), Endolimax nana (3.9%), Ascaris lumbricoides (3.3%), Entamoeba hartmanni (3.3%), Enterobius vermicularis (2.2%), Hymenolepis nana (1.1%), Iodamoeba butschlii (1.1%), Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (0.6%), and Schistosoma mansoni (0.6%). Of the 92 positive cases there were 71% with mono-parasitism, 25% with bi-parasitism, and 4% with poly-parasitism. It was concluded that strongyloidiasis is hyperendemic in the rural area of Uberlândia. We highlighted the importance of the multiple parasitological methods performed in three different occasions with fecal samples of each individual, which enhanced the possibilities for detection of an elevated enteroparasite rate (51.1%). We also point out to a serious public health problem in this rural area.

The frequency of intestinal parasites in the population attended in the Central Laboratory of the municipality of Chapadinha, state of Maranhao, was assessed. Stool tests were undertaken between January 2007 and February 2008, by means of the spontaneous sedimentation technique (Hoffmann, Pons, and Janer). A total of 3,933 stool samples were analyzed, where 1,302 samples were positive (33.1%) and 2,632 were negative (66.9%) for intestinal parasites. Entamoeba coli, Entamoeba histolytica/dispar, Giardia intestinalis, Endolimax nana, Iodamoeba butschlii, Ascaris lumbricoides, Ancilostomideos, Enterobius vermicularis, Strongyloides stercoralis and Hymenolepis nana were the observed species. Entamoeba histolytica/dispar, Entamoeba coli, Giardia intestinalis and Ascaris lumbricoides were the most frequent species.

The prevalence of enteroparasitosis in children living in rural communities in Coari city, Amazonas state, Brazil, was investigated. Among 123 children examined, 74.0% of the coproparasitological samples were positive with occurrence of Ascaris lumbricoides (68.1%), Trichuris trichiura (41.8%), ancylostomatides (17.6%), Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar (17.6%), E. coli (11%), Giardia duodenalis (9.9%), Strongyloides stercoralis (8.8%), Endolimax nana (3.3%) and Iodamoeba butschlii (1.1%). High prevalence of enteroparasitosis in the studied community shows the difficulty to control these diseases in the Amazonian region and emphasize the need for adequate preventive and educative measures adapted to the reality of this region.