Clinical status and parasitic infection in a Wichi Aboriginal community in Salta,Argentina

• Published in: Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Vol. 97; no. 5; pp. 554 - 558
• Main Authors: Taranto, N.J., Cajal, S.P., De Marzi, M.C., Fernández, M.M., Frank, F.M., Brú, A.M., Minvielle, M.C., Basualdo, J.A., Malchiodi, E.L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2003; Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aborigine; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anemia - ethnology; Anemia - parasitology; Argentina; Argentina - epidemiology; Biological and medical sciences; Chagas disease; Child; Child, Preschool; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Eosinophilia - ethnology; Eosinophilia - parasitology; Female; General aspects; helminth infection; Human infectious diseases. Experimental studies and models; Humans; Indians, South American - ethnology; indirect immunofluorescent assay; Infant; Infectious diseases; intestinal infection; leishmaniasis; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Parasitic Diseases - diagnosis; Parasitic Diseases - ethnology; toxocariasis; South America; Argentina; America; Argentina; toxocariasis; helminth infection; indirect immunofluorescent assay; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Chagas disease; Aborigine; leishmaniasis; intestinal infection; Human; Parasitosis; Epidemiology; Infection; Aboriginal; Tropical medicine
• ISSN: 0035-9203; 1878-3503
• DOI: 10.1016/S0035-9203(03)80026-3

In a study, carried out in 2000, of the clinical and parasitological status of a Wichi Aboriginal community living in the suburbs of Tartagal, northern Salta, Argentina, 154 individuals were screened for parasitic infections. Ninety-five faecal samples were also obtained from the same population. Ninety-three percent of the subjects were positive for 1 or more of the parasites investigated by direct test and 70.5% of them had parasitic superinfection. The most frequent helminths were Strongyloides stercoralis (50.5%) and hookworm (47.4%). We found low reinfection rates and a long reinfection period after treatment and provision of safe water and sanitation. Serum reactivity of these patients was analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and indirect immunofluorescent assay and 22.1% of them had anti-Toxocara antibodies, 16.2% were positive for a complex antigen of Leishmania braziliensis, 29.9% were positive for a complex Trypanosoma cruzi antigen, and 17.5% were positive for a specific Trypanosoma cruzi antigen, Ag1 63136/cruzipain.