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Prevalence of non-pathogenic types of gastrointestinal protozoa in population in Slovakia and their potential importance in the aspect of public health

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Abstract

The aim of the research was to determine the prevalence of non-pathogenic protozoa circulating in the human population of Slovakia. We particularly focused on the socially deprived areas with poor sanitation conditions, as they are one of the factors affecting the transmission of these infections. Within this study, 2760 people were coprologically screened for the presence of protozoan cysts. The analyzed group comprised 1173 men and 1587 women from different regions of Slovakia. The total prevalence (2.03%) of non-pathogenic protozoa species was determined. The prevalence of Entamoeba coli was 0.80%, the prevalence of Endolimax nana 0.58%, and the prevalence of Blastocystis hominis was 0.65%. The presence of non-pathogenic protozoa was more frequent in women than that in men, in all age groups. The highest incidence of Entamoeba coli was found in children aged one month — seven years (0.79%), the lowest in the age group of 19–88 years (0.66%). Endolimax nana was most frequent in 8–18 year-olds (0.95%), where the statistical significance was found (p<0.05). The prevalence of Blastocys-tis hominis by the age group ranged from 0.39 to 0.95%. We did not find any statistical significance (p>0.05) for Entamoeba coli, and similarly for Blastocystis hominis associated with the sex and age. Although the circulation of non-pathogenic protozoa in the human population is far from being limited to the developing countries, their occurrence is also frequent in the population of developed countries. Despite their controversial pathogenicity, they should not be neglected, particularly in the patients with gastrointestinal symptoms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. St Elisabeth University of Health Care and Social Work, Námestie 1. mája, 080 00, Bratislava, Slovak Republic

    Adriána Dudlová & Vladimír Krčméry

  2. Department of Infectology and Travel Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of P. J. Šafárik, Rastislavova 43, 041 90, Košice, Slovak Republic

    Pavol Jarčuška

  3. National Cancer Institute, Klenova 3019/1, 833 10, Bratislava, Slovak Republic

    Silvia Jurišová

  4. Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01, Košice, Slovak Republic

    Zuzana Vasilková

  5. Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of P. J. Šafárik, Šrobárova 2, 041 80 Košice, Slovak Republic

    Peter Juriš

Authors
  1. Adriána Dudlová
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  2. Pavol Jarčuška
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  3. Silvia Jurišová
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  4. Zuzana Vasilková
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  5. Vladimír Krčméry
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  6. Peter Juriš
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Correspondence to Peter Juriš.

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Dudlová, A., Jarčuška, P., Jurišová, S. et al. Prevalence of non-pathogenic types of gastrointestinal protozoa in population in Slovakia and their potential importance in the aspect of public health. Acta Parasit. 63, 819–825 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1515/ap-2018-0100

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ap-2018-0100

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