Classic and molecular study of Giardia duodenalis in children from a daycare center in the region of Presidente Prudente, São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

SUMMARYEpidemiological studies on giardiasis by using molecular techniques such as RAPD (Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA) may give information on factors related to the transmission of Giardia duodenalis. The aim of this work was to assess the epidemiology of G. duodenalis in 101 children attended at a daycare center in Presidente Bernardes, SP, Brazil. After parasitological examinations in feces samples, 15 children presented cysts of G. duodenalis. Their respective parents, brothers and pets, besides the daycare center workers, also had their feces submitted to parasitological analysis. Seven mothers and nine brothers also presented G. duodenalis cysts, while fathers, daycare workers and pets (dogs) did not presented the parasite. Besides the 15 cases with G. duodenalis, other 23 children presented other enteroparasites (Entamoeba coli, Endolimax nana, Enterobius vermicularis, Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura). Samples of G. duodenalis cysts from children and their relatives were submitted to molecular typing by RAPD after genomic DNA extraction and amplification of a fragment of the 18S rDNA region by PCR. After examining 31 isolates of G. duodenalis (children and their respective mothers and brothers), it was concluded that the parasite transmission occurred in children, probably during daily cohabitation at the daycare center, but not at home among their relatives or pets.

Giardia lamblia infections in children in Ghana

“…This may suggest that infection with Genotype B may not always lead to clinical symptoms. Prior exposure has been shown to confer some degree of protection to subsequent infections [ 30 , 31 ], and such cases may be reservoirs sustaining transmission to susceptible host, particularly at day-care centers, where children have frequent contact with each other [ 15 , 32 , 33 ]. Interestingly, our data is in contrast to a study by Opintan et al [ 22 ] who identified Cryptosporidium as the commonest cause of diarrhoea in children at PML but did not find any case of Giardiasis.…”

High occurrence of giardiasis in children living on a 'landless farm workers' settlement in Araras, São Paulo, Brazil

“…This study was based on a sample from an underprivileged population in which a high prevalence of giardiasis was largely observed when compared to studies done in other cities in Brazil 4,5,[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][16][17][18][19] . It is part of an "Extension Project to the Community" where two undergraduate students voluntarily worked on weekends, trying to make the community aware of the importance of health care.…”

Zoonotic Potential and Molecular Epidemiology ofGiardiaSpecies and Giardiasis

“…High infection rates for giardiasis have been reported for developing countries, and some recent data are listed in Table 2. In various Asian countries (Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam), North America (Cuba, Mexico, and Nicaragua), South America (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru), and Africa (northern Africa, west Africa, and South Africa), most of the studies focused on children, and infection rates for G. duodenalis fell into the range of 8% to 30% in the majority of those studies (12,29,56,62,63,65,69,144,160,166,174,184,186,202,203,229,234,237,239,252,253,281). In a few studies, the infection rate was lower than 4% or higher than 30% (65,137,145,230,243,274,280).…”