Prevalence of Intestinal Parasitic Infections among Children in Europe over the Last Five Years

Abstract

While the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections (IPI) has been most commonly studied in African and Asian populations, less is known about the prevalence rates of IPI in European children, as well as the potential risk factors that favor the spread of parasites. We aimed to review published evidence on the prevalence rates of IPI in children residing in Europe, and to quantitatively synthesize the results of published studies. We searched Medline from 1 January 2015 to 1 April 2021 to address the most recently published prevalence patterns of IPI in European children. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed by type of IPI infection, age group and sex, depending on data availability. Of the 967 potentially relevant articles, eight eligible cross-sectional studies were included in this analysis, yielding a sample of 3376 children (0–19 years). The overall prevalence rate was 5.9% for any IPI in children residing in European countries. Blastocystis hominis was the most commonly detected parasite yielding a prevalence rate of 10.7%. Other parasites included Entamoeba coli, Endolimax nana, and Blastocystis hominis. Studies focusing on specific types of parasites showed prevalence rates ranging from 1.3% for Cryptosporidium to 68.3% for Dientamoeba fragilis. Despite the scarce literature, the present review showed relatively low prevalence rates of IPI in Europe. Future studies accounting for proper diagnostic methods used for the detection of parasites and including information on potential sociodemographic factors, such as travelling history and history of immigration, are needed to guide clinicians about which children to test, as well as when and how to test children for IPI.

Investigation of intestinal parasites by conventional and molecular methods in children with gastrointestinal system complaints

“…In a meta-analysis study that examined the prevalence of IPI among children in Europe between 2015 and 2021, the overall IP prevalence rate was 5.9% and Blastocystis sp. was the most commonly detected parasite with a prevalence rate of 10.7% in children residing in European countries (Kantzanou et al 2021). These rates are consistent with the data obtained in our study.…”

Incidence and age distribution of Giardia lamblia infection for sex years in Al-Najaf province in Iraq

“…An increase in the per cent of male infection may be due to males' behaviour in dealing with their surrounding environment. The category most movement, contact with external environmental factors in terms of their survival for a long time outside their homes to practice the business, which imperative them to eat and drink in crowded restaurants and shops that not clear and street vendors and play games more than female in addition to bad habits such as put fingers in the mouth and biting nails all these lead to increasing infect with the parasite especially in male so that the male is more susceptible than female (16,17,18,19,20,15,21,22,23). While Heideri and Rokni (24) and Al-fatli (25) refer to the absence of a significant difference in the incidence of the infection between males and females and other studies, found that the per cent of disease in females is more than males (26,27).…”

Exploring Blastocystis genetic diversity in rural schoolchildren from Colombia using next-generation amplicon sequencing reveals significant associations between contact with animals and infection risk

“…Human populations in developing countries frequently suffer from intestinal disease with intestinal parasite infections being one of the most common causes of disease (Kantzanou et al 2021 ; Pazmiño et al 2022 ). Intestinal parasite infections are major public health concerns, especially in pediatric populations in low- and middle-income countries where chronic infections could add to worsening illness and undernutrition as well as having long-term health implications (George et al 2018 ; Hanieh et al 2021 ; Deka et al 2022 ).…”