[Evolution of the prevalence the enteroparasitoses in Talca-Chile]

The prevalence of intestinal parasites in preschool and school children in the city of Talca and rural areas belonging to the Maule Region, was assessed annually by means of the serial parasitological studies in stool which were performed in the Parasitology Laboratory of the "Universidad de Talca". For consecutive periods since 1980 until 2008, an estimated prevalence of parasitism of 76.2% in the population studied was found. These results show a marked decrease from 9.8% to 2.5% in pathogenic enteroparasites like: Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica, Trichocephalos trichiuris, Ascaris lumbricoides, Hymenolepis nana and Taenia sp. Commensal parasites as Entamoeba coli, lodamoeba butschlii, Endolimax nana and Chilomastix mesnili experimented a diminished recovery too. However commensal parasites globally showed an increase in time, given the significant increase of Blastocystis hominis (from 7.6 to 72.9%). A change was also observed in the carriage ofpolyparasitosis (from 64.5% to 9.6%) and monoparasitosis (from 10.0 to 35.5%).