Intestinal parasitic infections in Sub-Saharan population illustrated with an example of inhabitants of the Central African Republic

Abstract

Aim. The article presents the results of a research study into the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in residents of the Central African Republic. Material and methods. Parasitological examination was performed in December 2014 on stool samples obtained from 44 patients treated in a municipal hospital for internal diseases and 54 asymptomatic workers employed in the food processing and dining facilities in the multinational military base UCATEX in Bangui, the country’s capital. The samples were examined with direct smear, decantation and flotation techniques in the Department of Epidemiology and Tropical Medicine MIM in Gdynia, Poland. Results. The study found that 9 (20.5%) of 44 hospital patients and 6 (11.1%) of 54 asymptomatic workers employed on the military base were infected with pathogenic intestinal parasites. The most commonly detected pathogens included Entamoeba histolytica sensu lato and Schistosoma mansoni. None of the 54 employees working in the base was found to be infected with nematodes, which might be explained by the fact that they had regularly received antiparasitic treatment (a single dose of 400 mg albendazole once a year), in contrast to the hospital patients, who had not received antihelminthic therapy. Conclusions. A wide variety of intestinal parasites found in Sub‑Saharan Africa requires regular screening of the local populations in order to implement a targeted antiparasitic therapy instead of deworming recommended by WHO which is effective only in elimination of some nematode species.