[Prevalence of enteroparasitosis in the population of Maria Helena, Paraná State].

The epidemiological study on intestinal parasites has the purpose of determining the main diseases and their respective etiologic agents, which are endemically or epidemically spread worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the enteroparasitosis infection prevalence, in which age group they prevail, relating the infection with age, gender, and the region in which the person lives, in the city of Maria Helena - PR. Data collection was performed from June of 2004 to May of 2006. 431 samples of feces were analyzed through the spontaneous sedimentation and centrifugal fluctuation methods. The enteroparasitosis prevalence was of 16%, being the most frequent enteroparasitosis: Endolimax nana (6.5%), Entamoeba coli (3.5%), Giardia lamblia (6.3%), Ascaris lumbricoides (1.4%), Strongyloides stercoralis (0.7%), Entrobius vermicularis (0.7%), Anchylostomiasis (0.2%), Entamoeba hystolitica and Taenia sp (0.2%). Poly-parasitism was found in 3.2% of the samples. The age group from 0 to 9 years presented the highest prevalence, however there was no statistical difference among the analyzed factors since p>0.05. From these results, it was possible to conclude that the city presents similar characteristics both in rural and urban zones.