Intestinal parasites in Southeast-Asian refugees. Prevalence in a community of Laotians

Abstract

In response to public concerns, 165 Meo Laotians had stools screened for intestinal parasites by the Illinois Department of Public Health. One hundred twenty-nine had at least one pathogenic parasite detected. Hookworm was detected most frequently, followed by Giardia lamblia, Trichuris trichiura, and Ascaris lumbricoides. Hookworm and overall infection were more frequent in persons 4 years of age and older, while giardiasis, ascariasis, and trichuriasis were most common in the 4- to 14-year age group. Most infections were helminthic and of no public health consequence in the United States. However, giardiasis was seven times as prevalent in refugee children as in the general US population, posing a potential public health risk in child-care settings.