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Detection of Dientamoeba fragilis in Portuguese children with acute gastroenteritis between 2011 and 2013

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 July 2015

C. JÚLIO ,
C. FURTADO ,
R. ROCHA ,
C. ESCOBAR ,
M. J. BRITO  and
M. OLEASTRO
C. JÚLIO*
Affiliation:
Department of Infectious Diseases, National Reference Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Infections, National Institute of Health Dr Ricardo Jorge I.P., Lisbon, Portugal
C. FURTADO
Affiliation:
Department of Infectious Diseases, Reference and Surveillance Unit, National Institute of Health Dr Ricardo Jorge I.P., Lisbon, Portugal
R. ROCHA
Affiliation:
Department of Infectious Diseases, National Reference Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Infections, National Institute of Health Dr Ricardo Jorge I.P., Lisbon, Portugal
C. ESCOBAR
Affiliation:
Hospital Professor Doutor Fernando Fonseca, Paediatric Service, Amadora, Portugal
M. J. BRITO
Affiliation:
Hospital D. Estefânia, Paediatric Service, Lisbon, Portugal
M. OLEASTRO
Affiliation:
Department of Infectious Diseases, National Reference Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Infections, National Institute of Health Dr Ricardo Jorge I.P., Lisbon, Portugal
*
* Corresponding author. Department of Infectious Diseases, National Reference Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Infections, National Institute of Health Dr Ricardo Jorge I.P., Av. Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal. E-mail: [email protected]
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Summary

Dientamoeba fragilis is an inhabitant of human gastrointestinal tract with a worldwide distribution. The first description considered this protozoan a rare and harmless commensal, since then it has struggled to gain recognition as a pathogen. Commercial multiplex real-time PCR was used to detect D. fragilis in fecal samples from hospitalized children (⩽18 years) with acute gastrointestinal disease, admitted to two hospitals of Lisbon area, with different demographic characteristics. A total of 176 children were studied, 103 (58·5%) male, 144 (81·8%) children between 0 and 5 years and 32 (18·2%) above 6 years old. The overall protozoa frequency considering the four tested microorganisms were 8·5% (15/176), and the most frequently found protozoan was D. fragilis, 6·3% (11/176). Dientamoeba fragilis frequency was higher among older children (21·9%), than younger children (2·8%), and greater in boys (6·8%) than in girls (5·5%). All positive children presented with diarrhoea associated with vomiting, fever and abdominal pain. Infection was associated with the age of children (P < 0·001), school attendance (P = 0·002) and consumption of certain foods (P = 0·014), e.g. cakes with crème and ham. The frequency of diantamoebiasis found in a cohort of hospitalized Portuguese children, with acute gastrointestinal disease, could be considered a very high value when compared with the protozoan frequency normally associated with this pathology.

Keywords

Dientamoeba fragilisfrequencyacute gastroenteritishospitalized childrenPortugal
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 142 , Issue 11 , September 2015 , pp. 1398 - 1403
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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