PREVALENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF BLASTOCYSTIS INFECTION AMONG CHILDREN FROM FOUR PRIMARY SCHOOLS AFTER WATER TREATMENT IN RURAL THAILAND

Blastocystis infection is a common water-borne intestinal protozoan infection among children in many countries. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Blastocystis infection among schoolchildren through two cross-sectional samplings: one before and one after the implementation of w...

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Published inSoutheast Asian journal of tropical medicine and public health Vol. 50; no. 2; pp. 217 - 225
Main Authors Ruang-areerate, Toon, Suwannahitatorn, Picha, Sirirungreung, Anupong, Thita, Thunyapit, Naaglor, Tawee, Sitthichot, Naruemon, Hempatawee, Nutchar, Piyaraj, Phunlerd, Rangsin, Ram, Taamasri, Paanjit, Leelayoova, Saovanee, Mungthin, Mathirut
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Bangkok Central Coordinating Board, SEAMEO-TROPMED Project 01.03.2019
Subjects
Blastocystis
Children
Collection
Cultivation
Diarrhea
DNA sequencing
Infections
Intestine
Light microscopy
Maintenance management
Metronidazole
Polymerase chain reaction
Protozoa
Rural areas
Sampling
Schools
Statistical analysis
Water treatment
Thailand
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Summary:Blastocystis infection is a common water-borne intestinal protozoan infection among children in many countries. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Blastocystis infection among schoolchildren through two cross-sectional samplings: one before and one after the implementation of water treatment in the study area in order to demonstrate if the water treatment could reduce the prevalence of Blastocystis infection among study subjects. The study area was rural, central Thailand. The study subjects were schoolchildren aged 6-15 years attending one of the four study schools in Chachoengsao Province, Thailand. One study sampling was conducted in 2015 before the water treatment program was implemented and one during 2016 after the water treatment program was implemented. Study subjects who were asymptomatic schoolchildren in the study schools were chosen. Exclusion criteria were schoolchildren who had diarrheal symptoms upon stool collection or those who received metronidazole during the 2 weeks prior to sample collection. Each study subject was asked to provide a stool sample which was examined by light microscopy using a wet preparation after short-term in vitro cultivation. DNA sequencing and subtype analysis was performed using polymerase chain reaction. A total of 497 subjects were included in the first sampling and 357 in the second sampling. The overall prevalence of Blastocystis infection among study subjects in 2015 was 12.9% (64/497) and in 2016 was 4.8% (17/357); the difference was statistically significant. The most common Blastocystis subtype isolated was subtype I. The overall prevalence of Blastocystis infection at the four study schools decreased significantly after implementing the water treatment program suggesting water treatment is an effective method to reduce intestinal infection due to Blastocystis among schoolchildren in the study community.
ISSN:0125-1562