To evaluate the rate of infection by Strongyloides stercoralis
and other enteroparasites a survey was conducted in the city of Uberlandia,
State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. A total of 900 stool samples from 300
children aging from four months to seven years, randomly selected in ten
nursery schools from September 1994 to December 1995, were examined, both
by the Baermann-Moraes and Lutz methods. Thirty nine children (13%) were
found to be infected by S. stercoralis, 64.1% were boys and 35.9%
were girls. Taking all the enteroparasites as a whole the results of the
survey pointed out that 265 (88.4%) of the 300 children were infected by
the following: Giardia lamblia, 78.3%; Ascaris lumbricoides,
15.3%; S. stercoralis, 13%; Hymenolepis nana, 6.7%;
hookworms, 6%; Enterobius vermicularis, 4%; Hymenole-pis
diminuta, 4% and Trichuris trichiura, 0.7%. From 265 infected
children 64.5% were mono-infected, 27.2% were infected by two parasites and
8.3% had a poly-specific parasite burden. It was concluded that
strongyloidiasis is hyperendemic in this area.
