Implications of parasite-nutrition interactions from a world perspective

Parasitic intestinal infections are among the most common in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Although the mortality and morbidity caused by intestinal parasitic infections are relatively low, the absolute number of deaths and cases of disease is rather high in relation to other bacterial and viral infections. Scientific evidence for a causal relationship between intestinal parasitic infections and malnutrition is only fragmentary. The overdispersed frequency distribution of helminth parasites in the human population and the stability of giardiasis in some individuals may help only to define the potential target groups for immediate medical intervention, i.e., those patients heavily parasitized and/or severely malnourished. Long-term preventive intervention should include prenatal control of malnutrition, breast feeding and proper weaning food practices, oral rehydration for acute diarrhea, and immunization and possibly control of parasitic infections. Solid arguments in favor of the latter are expected to emerge from the field studies on intestinal parasitic infections and nutrition designed in 1981 by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund. The results of these studies that will be carried out in several countries should serve as a guide for future parasite control projects and nutritional policies, including supplementary feeding programs.