Symptomatic and asymptomatic enteric protozoan parasitic infection and their association with subsequent growth parameters in under five children in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa

by Rina Das, Parag Palit, Md. Ahshanul Haque, Myron M. Levine, Karen L. Kotloff, Dilruba Nasrin, M. Jahangir Hossain, Dipika Sur, Tahmeed Ahmed, Robert F. Breiman, Mathew C. Freeman, A. S. G. Faruque BackgroundEntamoeba histolytica,Giardia, andCryptosporidium are common intestinal protozoan parasites that contribute to a high burden of childhood morbidity and mortality. Our study quantified the association between intestinal protozoan parasites and child anthropometric outcomes among children under-5. MethodsWe analyzed data from 7,800 children enrolled in the Global Enteric Multicenter Study (GEMS) across seven study sites that were positive for intestinal protozoan parasites between December 2007 and March 2011. Parasites were assessed using stool immunoassays (ELISA). We applied multiple linear regression to test the association between any or concurrent parasite and child anthropometric outcomes: length/height-for-age (HAZ), weight-for-age (WAZ), and weight-for-length/height (WHZ) z-score after 60 days of enrollment. Models were stratified by diarrheal symptoms, driven by the study design, and adjusted for potential covariates. FindingsAmong the asymptomatic children, negative associations were observed betweenGiardia with HAZ [ β: -0.13; 95% CI: -0.17, -0.09; p
Source: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases - Category: Tropical Medicine Authors: Source Type: research