Diagnóstico e epidemiologia da Entamoeba histolytica em residentes do município de Juruti-Pará

Abstract

The amebiasis is a human infection caused by the protozoa Entamoeba histolytica, which can be without any clinical manifestations till severe ones with high morbidity and mortality, and is responsible for millions of dysenteric cases an hepatic abscesses, annually. The epidemiological data of amebiasis in Brazil are under revision and reevaluation since the Entamoeba histolytica (pathogenic) was considered a distinct specie from Entamoeba dispar (non pathogenic). In this study, it was carried out the diagnosis of amebiasis by parasitological and molecular methods and antigen search (ELISA) in stool samples from residents in the municipality of Juruti, Pará state, Brazil. We had analyzed 188 stool samples, with positivity in28 (14,89 %) on the immunological test, which was considered as gold standard. The infection by E. histolytica was higher in the age group over 14 years old (8,51%) than in the one of 0-14 years (6,38%), but it was not showed statistical significance (p >0,05). There was discordance between the results of ELISA and microscopical methods in 41 samples (21,81%), and the immuno enzymatic had detected more positive samples than the other one. The diagnosis by PCR method was positive in 3/51(5,88%), result inferior to the one observed by microscopy (7,84% - 4/51) and by ELISA (11,76% - 6/51). Thus, our results suggest that the intestinal amebiasis is an problem of public health in the municipality of Juruti.