First known case of human bertiellosis in a child in Paraná, Brazil

OBJECTIVE

To describe the first known case of human Bertiellosis in Paraná (Brazil).

CASE DESCRIPTION

A 6-year-old male residing in the Brazilian state of Paraná was suffering from intermittent nonspecific abdominal pain and abdominal distension, associated with expulsion of live tapeworms in his feces for 7 months. He had a history of interaction with monkeys on an island. His first feces analysis was inconclusive, with an initial hypothesis of an atypical Taenia. However, after additional research, the parasitologist identified pregnant proglottids of Bertiella sp. The patient was initially treated with an unknown dosage of albendazole and nitazoxanide, as it was believed he had been infected with Taenia sp. Since the symptoms persisted, praziquantel 10 mg/kg was prescribed without further proglottids elimination.

COMMENTS

Human Bertiellosis is a rare zoonosis, with less than one hundred cases reported. However, it is a cause of chronic abdominal pain and should be kept as a differential diagnosis, especially in cases reporting recurrent tapeworm expulsion in feces and refractory treatment with albendazole.

Intestinal parasitic infections: telephone health literacy with men in areas of poverty in the syndemic

OBJECTIVES

to assess Popular Health Education practices on intestinal parasites, carried out by telephone contact with men living in urban communities in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during the COVID-19 syndemic.

METHOD

a quasi-experimental, quantitative and descriptive study, carried out with men aged 20 to 59 years. Pre-test was applied, and participants were divided into two groups: control and experimental. Popular Education in Health practices were carried out with an experimental group, and post-test was applied for both.

RESULTS

health education practices were significant in the experimental group, with a reduction in incorrect answers. There was an increase in incorrect answers in the control group's post-test.

CONCLUSIONS

the Brazilian National Policy for Popular Education in Health contributed to qualify men's health literacy on intestinal parasites. Practice by telephone contact proved to be a powerful strategy for nursing and public policies to access this group and promote health in Primary Health Care.