[Infestation by Giardia lamblia of children in the basic health area of East Rural Avila].

Abstract

Background: GIARDIA LAMBLIA (GL) constitutes a problem of public health especially (because of its greater frequency) amongst children. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of GL amongst children in the ZONA BASICA DE SALUD (ZBS) in the eastern part of the province of AVILA.

Methods: An observational prospective study undertaken in the ZBS of the eastern part of the Province of Avila during the 1992-93 school year. The faeces of 318 children, aged 3 to 14, without symptoms, attending school in 8 villages of the area were studied by means of the Teleman-Rivas test.

Results: The over all Prevalence of GI is 4.4%, we found no statistically significant differences between girls and boys, or between children aged over or under 10, or between those living in villages with more or fewer than 2000 inhabitants.

Conclusions: The prevalence of GL amongst the child population of ZBS in the eastern part of the province of Avila is 4.4% which figure accords closely with those found in similar studies.