Prevalence of intestinal parasites in the Maxakali indigenous community in Minas Gerais, Brazil, 2009.

O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar a preval?ncia de parasitos intestinais na etnia Maxakali em Minas Gerais, Brasil. Os exames parasitol?gico das fezes foram realizados atrav?s da t?cnica TF-Test, sendo as amostras fecais coletadas em tr?s dias alternados, em tubos independentes, contendo formol a 10%, unificados para dupla filtragem por centrifuga??o. Triplicatas de uma al?quota do sedimento foram examinadas em microsc?pio (10x e 40x) para identifica??o de ovos, cistos e larvas. A preval?ncia de parasitos (89,5%) e do poliparasitismo (46%) foi semelhante quanto ao sexo e idade, e variou entre as aldeias. As esp?cies prevalentes foram: Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar (48,9%), Giardia duodenalis (32%), Entamoeba coli (40,8%), Endolimax nana (10,3%), ancilostom?deos (37,9%), Schistosoma mansoni (23,7%), Hymenolepis nana (18,6%), Strongyloides stercoralis (5,4%), Ascaris lumbricoides (4,9%) e Trichuris trichiura (0,5%). Os Maxakali vivem em condi??es de vulnerabilidade social, e medidas de infraestrutura e de educa??o em sa?de necessitam ser implementadas pelas institui??es governamentais.A prevalence survey using the TF-Test technique to identify intestinal parasites was conducted in the Maxakali indigenous villages in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Stool samples were collected on three alternating days, in separate tubes, containing 10% formalin, and unified in a laboratory by double filtering centrifugation. Samples of sediment aliquot were prepared in triplicate and examined by microscope (10x and 40x) for eggs, cysts, and larvae. Prevalence of parasites (89.5%) and polyparasitism (46%) were similar by sex and age, but varied by village. Prevalent species were: Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar (48.9%), Giardia duodenalis (32%), Entamoeba coli (40.8%), Endolimax nana (10.3%), hookworms (37.9%), Schistosoma mansoni (23.7%), Hymenolepis nana (18.6%), Strongyloides stercoralis (5.4%), Ascaris lumbricoides (4.9%), and Trichuris trichiura (0.5%). The Maxakali population lives in socially vulnerable conditions, and government agencies need to introduce measures to improve sanitation infrastructure and health education