[Intestinal parasites in African asylum seekers: prevalence and risk factors]

To determine the prevalence of potentially pathogenic intestinal parasites in asylum seekers coming from a highly endemic area, and to identify groups of asylum seekers from Africa with a high risk of an intestinal parasitic infestation which is potentially harmful of their own health or that of those in their vicinity.

Prospective.

In the period January 1996-May 1999, 956 asylum seekers from Africa were checked for intestinal parasites by means of a stool examination within one month of arriving in the Netherlands. Independent variables for data analysis were sex, age and area of origin.

Pathogenic intestinal parasites were found in 40.6% of the 956 African asylum seekers coming from areas south and east of the Sahara. Double-infection was found in 9.5% and triple-infection in 0.9% of the study population. The most common pathogenic parasite was Trichuris trichiura (13.6%) followed by Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (8.8%), hookworms (7.8%), Schistosoma (7.0%) and Giardia lamblia (5.0%). G. lamblia was the most commonly found potentially pathogenic parasite in children less than 13 years old (19.0%). In the population from Western Africa, 15.6% had a hookworm and 12.8% a Schistosoma. Both these helminthic infestations were three times as prevalent in men as in women.

Sex, age and area of origin were important indicators for the species of parasite. On the basis of this, risk groups can be selected for screening for potentially pathogenic intestinal parasites.