The global war against intestinal parasites—should we use a holistic approach?

Abstract

Intestinal parasite infections have been known to compromise the quality of human life since prehistoric times. Throughout the ages, human civilizations have fought against parasitism, including intestinal parasites. During the second half of the last century, the focus of disease-combating efforts moved to other imminent public health issues, under the notion that the fight against infectious diseases had been won. However, the disease incidence data indicate that these diseases continue to wreak havoc on human productivity across the globe. Lately, chemotherapeutic intervention has been stressed for the control of intestinal parasitic infections. In this paper we evaluate the need for a holistic approach to address this issue and make recommendations for this cause.

Prevalence of intestinal parasites among food handlers at cafeteria of Jimma University Specialized Hospital, Southwest Ethiopia

“…Different reports have indicated the presence of strikingly high prevalence rates of the major protozoan and helminth infections in tropical countries, where parasitic diseases remain among the most ubiquitous and serious health problems [2,3]. Lack of clean and safe water, high population density, lack of proper disposal of waste, noncompliance with health standards, lack of adequate washing of vegetables, and consumption of uncooked meat lead to high prevalence of intestinal parasites [4].…”

Prevalence of Intestinal Parasitic Infection among Rural Area School Children of Lokhim VDC, Nepal

“…Evidences have shown that infections have been closely associated with humans for over 10,000 years [1]. Protozoa and helminthes are the major parasites that infect human.…”

Entamoeba spp. diagnosis in patients with inflammatory diarrhea by staining, copro-antigen ELISA and multiplex PCR methods

“…The prevalence of IPIs in each community is indicator of the health status of the area. Some environmental factors such as geographical location, climate, poverty, inadequate health conditions and economic situation, as well as personal factors such as nutrition, safety conditions, health status, cultural habits, literacy, and the high density of population facilitate the prevalence of IPIs [3,17]. Several evaluations were conducted in the different areas of Iran that showed the high prevalence of IPIs [4][5][6][7].…”

“…About 450 million people suffer from IPIs that at least 50% of these individuals are children. Lack of health care, the tropical wet climate, lack of access to safe drinking water, poverty, and illiteracy are some factors associated with IPIs [2,3]. In recent years, the prevalence of IPIs has been reported in different areas of Iran [4][5][6][7].…”