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. 2014 Sep-Oct;56(5):451-4.
doi: 10.1590/s0036-46652014000500015.

Prevalence of Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar in the city of Campina Grande, in northeastern Brazil

Maria Teresa Nascimento Silva  1 , José Valfrido Santana  2 , Gérson Bragagnoli  1 , Alexandre Magno da Nóbrega Marinho  1 , Elizabeth Malagueño  2
Affiliations

Prevalence of Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar in the city of Campina Grande, in northeastern Brazil

Maria Teresa Nascimento Silva et al. Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo. 2014 Sep-Oct.

Abstract
in English, Portuguese

There is a clear need to perform epidemiological studies to find the true prevalence of Entamoeba histolytica around the world. The evaluation of this prevalence has been hindered by the existence of two different species which are morphologically identical, but genetically different, namely E. histolytica, which causes amebiasis, and E. dispar, which is non-pathogenic. In Brazil, the E. dispar has been detected in communities in the Southeastern (SE) and Northeastern (NE) regions with poor sanitation. However, individuals infected with E. histolytica have been identified in other regions. There is an absence of reports on the prevalence of these parasites in the state of Paraíba, which also has areas with poor sanitary conditions where a high prevalence of the E. histolytica/E. dispar complex has been detected in children from urban slums. The present study evaluated the prevalence of E. histolytica and E. dispar in 1,195 asymptomatic children between two and 10 years of age, living in a sprawling urban slum in Campina Grande, in the state of Paraíba, in Northeastern Brazil. These children were examined and their feces samples were analyzed microscopically. A total of 553 children tested positive for the E. histolytica/E. dispar complex, and 456 of the positive samples were tested with the E. histolytica II® ELISA kit. All 456 samples were negative for the presence of the adhesin E. histolytica specific antigen. The evidence suggests that in this community E. histolytica is absent and E. dispar is the dominant species.

A prevalência mundial de Entamoeba histolytica não está bem estabelecida. Este fato deve-se à complicação derivada da existência de duas espécies morfologicamente idênticas, mas geneticamente diferentes: a E. histolytica que causa amebíases e a E. dispar descrita como não patogênica. No Brasil, em comunidades com precárias condições sanitárias e endêmicas para várias parasitoses, localizadas nas regiões Sudeste (SE) e Nordeste (NE), somente E. dispar tem sido encontrada, porém outras regiões, apresentam indivíduos infectados por E. histolytica. Na região agreste do Estado da Paraíba (NE) que apresenta as mesmas precárias condições sanitárias, não tem sido reportada prevalência específica destes parasitos, embora fosse encontrada alta prevalência do complexo E. dispar/E. histolytica em crianças em favela urbana. O presente estudo foi realizado em favela da cidade de Campina Grande, Estado da Paraíba, onde 1.195 crianças de dois a 10 anos sem sintomatologia foram examinadas. Amostras de fezes destas crianças foram analisadas microscopicamente, encontrando-se 553 positivas para o complexo E. dispar/E. histolytica. Do total de amostras positivas, 456 foram submetidas à pesquisa do antígeno especifico para E. histolytica pelo teste ELISA E. histolytica II®,obtendose resultado negativo para a presença do antígeno adesina específico de E. histolytica, em todas as amostras testadas. Os resultados sugerem que nesta comunidade não há infecção por E. histolytica, e que E. dispar é a espécie dominante na região.

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