TY - JOUR
T1 - Occurrence of a community with high morbidity associated with Schistosoma mansoni infection regardless of low infection intensity in north-east Brazil
AU - Tanabe, Masanobu
AU - Gonçalves, José Felip
AU - Gonçalves, Fernando José
AU - Tateno, Seiki
AU - Takeuchi, Tsutomu
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgements This research was supported in part by research grants from the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) and the Ministry of Public Welfare,Tokyo, Japan.
PY - 1997
Y1 - 1997
N2 - To establish the relationship between schistosome-associated morbidity and infection intensity in northeast Brazil, a parasitological and ultrasonographical study was carried out on 484 inhabitants of 4 villages (I, II, III and IV) in Sao Lourenco da Mata, Pernambuco, Brazil, where schistosomiasis is endemic. Quantitative stool examination using Knight's method demonstrated a high prevalence and moderate intensity of Schistosoma mansoni infection, and also that the subjects in village IV had a significantly lower prevalence and intensity of infection than those of the other villages. By ultrasonography, periportal fibrosis (PPF) and splenomegaly were found in 52% of the 299 infected subjects and 66% of the 146 infected subjects aged over 16 years old, respectively; 32% and 31% of the 299 infected subjects had abnormally high values of total bile acid (TBA) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, respectively. Liver and spleen size, PPF, and serum level of TBA and ALP were not correlated with infection intensity. There was no significant difference in the morbidity assessed by liver and spleen size, PPF, and serum analysis between the subjects in village IV and the other villages. These findings suggest the occurrence of a community with high morbidity associated with schistosomiasis regardless of low infection intensity.
AB - To establish the relationship between schistosome-associated morbidity and infection intensity in northeast Brazil, a parasitological and ultrasonographical study was carried out on 484 inhabitants of 4 villages (I, II, III and IV) in Sao Lourenco da Mata, Pernambuco, Brazil, where schistosomiasis is endemic. Quantitative stool examination using Knight's method demonstrated a high prevalence and moderate intensity of Schistosoma mansoni infection, and also that the subjects in village IV had a significantly lower prevalence and intensity of infection than those of the other villages. By ultrasonography, periportal fibrosis (PPF) and splenomegaly were found in 52% of the 299 infected subjects and 66% of the 146 infected subjects aged over 16 years old, respectively; 32% and 31% of the 299 infected subjects had abnormally high values of total bile acid (TBA) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, respectively. Liver and spleen size, PPF, and serum level of TBA and ALP were not correlated with infection intensity. There was no significant difference in the morbidity assessed by liver and spleen size, PPF, and serum analysis between the subjects in village IV and the other villages. These findings suggest the occurrence of a community with high morbidity associated with schistosomiasis regardless of low infection intensity.
KW - Infection intensity
KW - Morbidity
KW - Periportal fibrosis
KW - Schistosoma mansoni
KW - Schistosomiasis
KW - Ultrasonography
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U2 - 10.1016/S0035-9203(97)90201-7
DO - 10.1016/S0035-9203(97)90201-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 9196752
AN - SCOPUS:0030946614
SN - 0035-9203
VL - 91
SP - 144
EP - 149
JO - Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
JF - Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
IS - 2
ER -
