Shield, Jennifer

Aland, Kieran

Kearns, Thérèse

Gongdjalk, Glenda

Holt, Deborah

Currie BJ

Prociv, Paul

2015-01

Parasitic infections can adversely impact health, nutritional status and educational attainment. This study investigated hookworm and other intestinal parasites in an Aboriginal community in Australia from 1994 to 1996. Seven surveys for intestinal parasites were conducted by a quantitative formol-ether method on faecal samples. Serological testing was conducted for Strongyloides stercoralis and Toxocara canis IgG by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Of the 314 participants, infections were as follows: Trichuris trichiura (86%); hookworm, predominantly Ancylostoma duodenale (36%); Entamoeba spp. (E. histolytica complex [E. histolytica, E. dispar and E. moskovski], E. coli and E. hartmanni) (25%); S. stercoralis (19%); Rodentolepis nana (16%); and Giardia duodenalis (10%). Serological diagnosis for 29 individuals showed that 28% were positive for S. stercoralis and 21% for T. canis. There was a decrease in the proportion positive for hookworm over the two-year period but not for the other parasite species. The presence of hookworm, T. trichiura and Entamoeba spp. was significantly greater in 5-14 year olds (n = 87) than in 0-4 year olds (n = 41), while the presence of S. stercoralis, R. nana, G. duodenalis and Entamoeba spp. in 5-14 year olds was significantly greater than 15-69 year olds (n = 91). Faecal testing indicated a very high prevalence of intestinal parasites, especially in schoolchildren. The decrease in percentage positive for hookworm over the two years was likely due to the albendazole deworming programme, and recent evidence indicates that the prevalence of hookworm is now low. However there was no sustained decrease in percentage positive for the other parasite species.

La Trobe University, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia ..

Queensland Museum, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia ..

Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia ..

Ngalkanbuy Health Centre, Galiwin'ku, Northern Territory, Australia ..

Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia ..

Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia . ; Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia ..

University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia ..

Western Pacific surveillance and response journal : WPSAR 2015 Jan-Mar; 6(1): 44-51

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25960921/?otool=iaurydwlib

https://hdl.handle.net/10137/5480

Adolescent

Adult

Age Distribution

Aged

Child

Child, Preschool

Feces

Female

Humans

Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic

Male

Middle Aged

Northern Territory

Oceanic Ancestry Group

Prevalence

Sex Distribution

Young Adult

Intestinal parasites of children and adults in a remote Aboriginal community of the Northern Territory, Australia, 1994-1996.

Journal Article

Publication