[Intestinal parasitosis in canteen employees: a quadrennial study]

Giardia Lamblia is the flagellated protozoan of intestinal-tract more frequently diagnosed. This disease is well known all over the world, particularly in hot countries and under precarious hygienic-environmental conditions. In Italy the rate of infestation is around 8%. The giardiasis affects people of every age. The disease can be transmitted either by direct contagion or through the ingestion of food contaminated by cysts. Some A.A. believe that in the last years real epidemics in adults occurred, due to the current changing in the habits of life, in particular as regards food and the use of canteens. The italian law demands the competent sanitary authorities to prepare diagnostical procedures for sanitary checks, to be carried out for consignment and renewal of the employment card and for periodical checks on production, manipulation, transport and sale-staff. In a quadrenniale study (1985-1988) the A.A. estimate the incidence of the intestinal parasites and they evaluate the real danger and risks deriving from the contamination of food, by checking 160 canteen-men working in a know metal-mechanical industry in our country, through periodical parasitological stool examination. The parasitological stool exam was carried out bright and after enrichment by Ritchie's method. The Giardia Lamblia, that certainly is the ++intestinal parasite more often isolated in our country, has been observed with varying frequency during the examined period from 1.9% to 5.6%. In 4 years, 38% of these patients, even undergoing specific therapy, has shown relapsing and recurrent infestations both in the following year and later.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)