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The epidemiology of polyparasitism and implications for morbidity in two rural communities of Côte d'Ivoire.
- Source :
-
Parasites & vectors [Parasit Vectors] 2014 Feb 25; Vol. 7, pp. 81. Date of Electronic Publication: 2014 Feb 25. - Publication Year :
- 2014
-
Abstract
- Background: Polyparasitism is still widespread in rural communities of the developing world. However, the epidemiology of polyparasitism and implications for morbidity are poorly understood. We studied patterns of multiple species parasite infection in two rural communities of Côte d'Ivoire, including associations and interactions between infection, clinical indicators and self-reported morbidity.<br />Methods: Between August and September 2011, two purposely selected rural communities in southern Côte d'Ivoire were screened for helminth, intestinal protozoa and Plasmodium infection, using a suite of quality-controlled diagnostic methods. Additionally, participants were examined clinically and we measured haemoglobin level, height, weight and mid-upper arm circumference to determine nutritional status. An anamnestic questionnaire was administered to assess people's recent history of diseases and symptoms, while a household questionnaire was administered to heads of household to collect socioeconomic data. Multivariate logistic regression models were applied for assessment of possible associations between parasitic (co-)infections and morbidity outcomes.<br />Results: 912/1,095 (83.3%) study participants had complete parasitological data and 852 individuals were considered for in-depth analysis. The rate of polyparasitism was high, with Plasmodium falciparum diagnosed as the predominant species, followed by Schistosoma haematobium, Schistosoma mansoni and hookworm. There were considerable differences in polyparasitic infection profiles among the two settings. Clinical morbidity such as anaemia, splenomegaly and malnutrition was mainly found in young age groups, while in adults, self-reported morbidity dominated. High parasitaemia of P. falciparum was significantly associated with several clinical manifestations such as anaemia, splenomegaly and fever, while light-intensity helminth infections seemed to have beneficial effects, particularly for co-infected individuals.<br />Conclusions: Clinical morbidity is disturbingly high in young age groups in rural communities of Côte d'Ivoire and mainly related to very high P. falciparum endemicity. Interactions between helminth infections and P. falciparum burden (parasitaemia and clinical morbidity) are evident and must be taken into account to design future interventions.
- Subjects :
- Adolescent
Adult
Ancylostomatoidea isolation & purification
Animals
Child
Child, Preschool
Coinfection
Cote d'Ivoire epidemiology
Feces parasitology
Female
Helminthiasis parasitology
Hookworm Infections epidemiology
Hookworm Infections parasitology
Humans
Logistic Models
Malaria, Falciparum parasitology
Male
Multivariate Analysis
Rural Population
Schistosoma isolation & purification
Schistosomiasis epidemiology
Schistosomiasis parasitology
Young Adult
Helminthiasis epidemiology
Helminths isolation & purification
Malaria, Falciparum epidemiology
Plasmodium falciparum isolation & purification
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1756-3305
- Volume :
- 7
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Parasites & vectors
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 24568206
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-3305-7-81