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Crudo Blackburn C, Yan SM, McCormick D, Herrera LN, Iordanov RB, Bailey MD, Bottazzi ME, Hotez PJ, Mejia R. Parasitic Contamination of Soil in the Southern United States. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2024; 111:506-514. [PMID: 39043177 PMCID: PMC11376165 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.24-0075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Parasites are generally associated with lower income countries in tropical and subtropical areas. Still, they are also prevalent in low-income communities in the southern United States. Studies characterizing the epidemiology of parasites in the United States are limited, resulting in little comprehensive understanding of the problem. This study investigated the environmental contamination of parasites in the southern United States by determining each parasite's contamination rate and burden in five low-income communities. A total of 499 soil samples of approximately 50 g were collected from public parks and private residences in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas. A technique using parasite floatation, filtration, and bead-beating was applied to dirt samples to concentrate and extract parasite DNA from samples and detected via multiparallel quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). qPCR detected total sample contamination of Blastocystis spp. (19.03%), Toxocara cati (6.01%), Toxocara canis (3.61%), Strongyloides stercoralis (2.00%), Trichuris trichiura (1.80%), Ancylostoma duodenale (1.42%), Giardia intestinalis (1.40%), Cryptosporidium spp. (1.01%), Entamoeba histolytica (0.20%), and Necator americanus (0.20%). The remaining samples had no parasitic contamination. Overall parasite contamination rates varied significantly between communities: western Mississippi (46.88%), southwestern Alabama (39.62%), northeastern Louisiana (27.93%), southwestern South Carolina (27.93%), and south Texas (6.93%) (P <0.0001). T. cati DNA burdens were more significant in communities with higher poverty rates, including northeastern Louisiana (50.57%) and western Mississippi (49.60%) compared with southwestern Alabama (30.05%) and southwestern South Carolina (25.01%) (P = 0.0011). This study demonstrates the environmental contamination of parasites and their relationship with high poverty rates in communities in the southern United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Crudo Blackburn
- Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Sally Mingshuang Yan
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - David McCormick
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Lauren Nicholas Herrera
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Roumen Borilov Iordanov
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Mark Daniel Bailey
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Maria Elena Bottazzi
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Peter J Hotez
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Rojelio Mejia
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
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Zonta ML, Servián A, Virgolini B, Garraza M, Minardi G, Navone GT. Malnutrition and intestinal parasitosis: Current prevalences and risk factors among schoolchildren in Misiones (Argentina). Am J Hum Biol 2024:e24140. [PMID: 39034672 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.24140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2024] [Revised: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To assess the current prevalences of nutritional status and intestinal parasites, and their potential association with socio-environmental conditions among schoolchildren in Aristóbulo del Valle, Misiones. METHODS We measured body weight and height in 444 schoolchildren aged 3-14 years and evaluated their nutritional status following WHO criteria. We examined fecal samples and anal swabs from 234 schoolchildren and collected socio-environmental data through questionnaires. RESULTS The prevalence of undernutrition was 4.5% and excess of weight was 24.1%. The prevalence of stunting and of being overweight reached 2.3% and 12.4%, respectively. About 42% of the schoolchildren were infected with at least one of the 12 species identified. The most prevalent species were Blastocystis sp., Enterobius vermicularis, and Giardia lamblia. Entamoeba dispar was recorded for the first time in the locality. The multiple correspondence analysis identified peri-urban, urban, and rural groups. Underweight, stunting and obesity were highest in the peri-urban group, while overweight, wasting and parasitism rates were highest in the rural group. The urban group showed the lowest parasitic prevalences. Bed-sharing, mother's education, and animal husbandry were associated with parasitic infections. CONCLUSIONS The study highlights a decrease in undernutrition but a rise in overweight and obesity, indicating an ongoing nutritional transition. The association between socio-environmental risk factors and parasitic infections underscore the need for comprehensive interventions addressing both nutritional and socio-environmental conditions to improve the population's life quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Lorena Zonta
- Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE-CONICET-UNLP-asoc. CIC), Buenos Aires, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Andrea Servián
- Instituto Nacional de Parasitología (INP) "Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben", Paseo Colón 568 (1063), Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud (ANLIS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Belén Virgolini
- Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE-CONICET-UNLP-asoc. CIC), Buenos Aires, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Mariela Garraza
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones en Ontogenia y Adaptación (LINOA)-Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo (FCNyM), Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Graciela Minardi
- Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE-CONICET-UNLP-asoc. CIC), Buenos Aires, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Graciela T Navone
- Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE-CONICET-UNLP-asoc. CIC), Buenos Aires, La Plata, Argentina
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McKim S, Kopystynsky K, Wolf N, Akbar FA, Bottazzi ME, Hotez PJ, Mejia R. Environmental Detection of Parasites in the Marginalized Paiute Reservations Compared to a Nearby Area. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2024; 110:457-459. [PMID: 38350146 PMCID: PMC10919181 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.23-0712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
The amounts of parasite DNA in soil samples from different playgrounds and other public areas can help identify areas of possible microbe transmission and give indications of the possible occurrence of parasite infection in nearby communities. We collected 207 soil samples from parks in Paiute indigenous tribal areas in southwestern Utah and from the higher income city of St. George, Utah, and tested them for 11 parasites that can cause human disease. Molecular tests revealed an elevated odds ratio (OR) of 3.072 (range, 1.114-8.065) for detecting the helminth Trichuris trichiura and an elevated OR of 3.036 (range, 1.101-7.966) for any protozoa (not including Acanthamoeba) in the tribal land playgrounds compared with St. George parks. These findings support previous studies showing that areas in lower socioeconomic communities, especially marginalized communities, tend to have more parasites in the soil, which may lead to higher disease prevalence rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon McKim
- Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine, St. George, Utah
| | | | - Nathaniel Wolf
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Fahim A. Akbar
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Maria Elena Bottazzi
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Peter J. Hotez
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Rojelio Mejia
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
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Legge H, Pullan RL, Sartorius B. Improved household flooring is associated with lower odds of enteric and parasitic infections in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 3:e0002631. [PMID: 38039279 PMCID: PMC10691699 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
Enteric and parasitic infections such as soil-transmitted helminths cause considerable mortality and morbidity in low- and middle-income settings. Earthen household floors are common in many of these settings and could serve as a reservoir for enteric and parasitic pathogens, which can easily be transmitted to new hosts through direct or indirect contact. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to establish whether and to what extent improved household floors decrease the odds of enteric and parasitic infections among occupants compared with occupants living in households with unimproved floors. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we comprehensively searched four electronic databases for studies in low- and middle-income settings measuring household flooring as an exposure and self-reported diarrhoea or any type of enteric or intestinal-parasitic infection as an outcome. Metadata from eligible studies were extracted and transposed on to a study database before being imported into the R software platform for analysis. Study quality was assessed using an adapted version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. In total 110 studies were eligible for inclusion in the systematic review, of which 65 were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis after applying study quality cut-offs. Random-effects meta-analysis suggested that households with improved floors had 0.75 times (95CI: 0.67-0.83) the odds of infection with any type of enteric or parasitic infection compared with household with unimproved floors. Improved floors gave a pooled protective OR of 0.68 (95CI: 0.58-0.8) for helminthic infections and 0.82 OR (95CI: 0.75-0.9) for bacterial or protozoan infections. Overall study quality was poor and there is an urgent need for high-quality experimental studies investigating this relationship. Nevertheless, this study indicates that household flooring may meaningfully contribute towards a substantial portion of the burden of disease for enteric and parasitic infections in low- and middle-income settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Legge
- Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel L. Pullan
- Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Benn Sartorius
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Health Metric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
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Tapia-Veloz E, Gozalbo M, Guillén M, Dashti A, Bailo B, Köster PC, Santín M, Carmena D, Trelis M. Prevalence and associated risk factors of intestinal parasites among schoolchildren in Ecuador, with emphasis on the molecular diversity of Giardia duodenalis, Blastocystis sp. and Enterocytozoon bieneusi. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011339. [PMID: 37224177 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intestinal helminths, including Soil-Transmitted Helminth (STH), and Gastrointestinal Protist (GP) infections are major contributors to the global burden of disease, particularly in low-income countries such Ecuador. Their epidemiology in these settings is largely unknown. METHODOLOGY This prospective cross-sectional study investigates the carriage of intestinal helminths, including STH, and GP in asymptomatic schoolchildren (3-11 years) in the Chimborazo and Guayas provinces, Ecuador. Single stool samples (n = 372) and epidemiological questionnaires on demographics and potential risk factors were collected from participating schoolchildren. Conventional microscopy examination was used as screening method, and molecular (PCR and Sanger sequencing) assays were used to further investigate the epidemiology of some GP. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the strength of the association of suspected risk factors with the presence of helminths and GP. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS At least one intestinal parasite species was observed by microscopy in 63.2% (235/372) of the participating schoolchildren. Enterobius vermicularis (16.7%, 62/372; 95% CI: 13.0-20.9) and Blastocystis sp. (39.2%, 146/372; 95% CI: 34.2-44.2) were the most prevalent among helminths and GP, respectively. Assemblages A (50.0%), B (37.5%) and A+B (12.5%) were detected within Giardia duodenalis and ST3 (28.6%), ST1 and ST2 (26.2% each), and ST4 (14.3%) within Blastocystis sp. Three genotypes, two known (A: 66.7%; KB-1: 16.7%) and a novel (HhEcEb1, 16.7%) were identified within Enterocytozoon bieneusi. Municipality of origin, household overcrowding, and poor sanitation and personal hygiene habits were risk factors for childhood intestinal parasites colonization. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Despite massive government drug administration programs, STH and GP infection remain a public health concern in paediatric populations living in poor-resource settings. Molecular analytical methods are required to better understand the epidemiology of these intestinal parasites. This study provides novel information on the occurrence of Blastocystis sp. and E. bieneusi genetic variants circulating in Ecuadorian human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estephany Tapia-Veloz
- Area of Parasitology, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Mónica Gozalbo
- Department of Medicine and Public Health, Science of the Food, Toxicology and Legal Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Marisa Guillén
- Department of Medicine and Public Health, Science of the Food, Toxicology and Legal Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Alejandro Dashti
- Parasitology Reference and Research Laboratory, Spanish National Centre for Microbiology, Health Institute Carlos III, Majadahonda, Spain
| | - Begoña Bailo
- Parasitology Reference and Research Laboratory, Spanish National Centre for Microbiology, Health Institute Carlos III, Majadahonda, Spain
| | - Pamela C Köster
- Parasitology Reference and Research Laboratory, Spanish National Centre for Microbiology, Health Institute Carlos III, Majadahonda, Spain
| | - Mónica Santín
- Environmental Microbial and Food Safety Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - David Carmena
- Parasitology Reference and Research Laboratory, Spanish National Centre for Microbiology, Health Institute Carlos III, Majadahonda, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Research Network (CIBER) in Infectious Diseases, Health Institute Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Trelis
- Area of Parasitology, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
- Joint Research Unit on Endocrinology, Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics, University of Valencia-Health Research Institute La Fe, Valencia, Spain
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