Intestinal protozoa parasites association with anemia in people from Brazilian western Amazon communities

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Abstract
Introduction: Nowadays intestinal parasitic infection remains an important public health trouble in Latin and South America, emphasizing the Amazon region. Furthermore, intestinal parasites have been considered important factors in etiology of nutritional anemia and malnutrition. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the intestinal parasitic infection and its possible association with anemia in people from Amazon communities. Methods: The study was a research in documentary records, descriptive, retrospective and cross-sectional, with confirmed cases of parasites infection found in State Hospital of Cacoal-Rondônia, Brazilian Western Amazon. The parameters evaluated were gender, age, race, parasites, hematocrit and hemoglobin. Results: Females where slight higher for the number of cases of parasites occurrence (51%) compared to males (49%) and children had higher parasitic index (43%) followed by adults (37%), teenagers (11%) and seniors (9%). With regards to race, pardos (brown skin color) group was the most affected by the parasites with 69% of cases, followed by caucasians (17%), indians (11%) and blacks (3%). The major parasites diagnosed were Endolimax nana (55%), Giardia lamblia (28%), Entamoeba coli (14%) and Iodamoeba bütschlii (3%). In relation to the association of intestinal parasites and anemia, children had a 60% anemia increase when compared to adults (p <0.05) and the indians increased by 100% anemia when paired against caucasians (p <0.05).Conclusion: Thus, it is suggested that attention should be given to the increase in protozoa parasitic infection prevalence in Amazonian communities and expedite the emergency of improvements in political and sanitation programs of water treatment and waste and sewer management.

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