Positividade do exame parasitológico de fezes em adultos numa cidade do interior do Nordeste

Abstract

Infections caused by intestinal parasites represent a public health problem, with high prevalence in developing countries. There are few studies regarding the rates of enteroparasitoses in the country, and the existing ones are mostly focused on large centers. These data highlight the need for research in small cities in the countryside, where the number of enteric parasites is underestimated and the lack of basic sanitation is evident. Prevalence studies generate data for planning governmental actions and possible improvements in public health conditions. The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of infection by enteroparasitoses in adults over 20 years of age, and its main etiological agents, the age at which there is higher prevalence, relating the infection to age and sex, in users of the Health System in the city of Lagarto-SE. This is a retrospective, observational, cross-sectional, quantitative, descriptive study carried out in clinical analysis laboratories in the city of Lagarto-SE. The data were collected from electronic medical records and analyzed by simple statistics. The sample involved 1,494 participants, in which 48.73% showed positivity for some parasitosis, 62.43% commensal protozoa, 7.82% helminths, 17.60% pathogenic protozoa and 12.83% with bi or polyparasitism. The positivity rates between female and male sexes, 57.97% and 42.03%, respectively. Parasitic infections were more prevalent in the age group between 20 and 40 years.