Frequency of enteroparasitic infections and serum positivity for Toxocara spp. in children from a public day care center in Southern Brazil

Abstract Introduction Day care centers play an important social role in children’s early education and development. The objective of this study was to investigate the frequency of intestinal parasitic infections and infection with Toxocara spp. in children from a day care center in the city of Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Methods: The study was conducted using fecal samples from 50 children, ages three to six years, using Ritchie, Faust, Rugai, and Kinyoun’s techniques. A closed and structured epidemiological questionnaire was used to collect data from the parents/guardians of the children. Serological studies for detection of antibodies to Toxocara spp. by immunoenzymatic assays using Toxocara excretion and secretion antigen (TES) were conducted on sera collected from 41 children. Results: The frequency of enteroparasites was 18%, with 43.9% of the children testing seropositive for Toxocara spp. Low family income and low literacy levels of parents/guardians were common factors between the families of the parasite-positive children. For the children who tested positive for Toxocara spp., most of the parents/guardians reported using only water for sanitizing raw vegetables and fruits. Conclusions: The high seropositivity rates for Toxocara spp. indicate that children were exposed to this parasite, and it is important to reduce the risk of infection. In addition, the seropositivity for enteroparasites and the interviews with the parents/guardians indicate the need to educate the studied population regarding the modes of intestinal parasite transmission and the prophylactic measures needed to prevent their dissemination.

摘要 日托中心在儿童早期教育与成长发育中承担着重要的社会功能。本研究旨在调查巴西南里奥格兰德州里奥格兰德市某日托中心儿童的肠道寄生虫感染率，以及弓首线虫属（Toxocara spp.）的感染情况。
方法：本研究纳入50名3~6岁儿童的粪便样本，采用里奇氏法、福斯特氏法、鲁盖氏法及金永氏法开展检测。通过封闭式结构化流行病学问卷收集儿童家长/监护人的相关数据。此外，本研究采集了41名儿童的血清样本，以弓首线虫排泄分泌抗原（TES）为检测靶标，通过免疫酶联检测法筛查抗弓首线虫属抗体。
结果：本次研究中肠道寄生虫感染率为18%，43.9%的儿童血清学检测结果呈弓首线虫属阳性。肠道寄生虫阳性儿童的家庭普遍存在家庭收入偏低、家长/监护人文化程度较低的共性特征。在弓首线虫属血清学阳性的儿童中，多数家长/监护人表示仅使用清水对生食的蔬菜水果进行消毒处理。
结论：较高的弓首线虫属血清学阳性率提示该群体儿童存在该寄生虫暴露风险，需采取措施降低感染概率。此外，肠道寄生虫血清学阳性结果及家长/监护人访谈数据表明，需对该研究群体开展肠道寄生虫传播途径及预防其传播所需的防护措施相关的健康教育工作。