Influence of Environmental Pollution and Living Conditions on Parasite Transmission among Indigenous Ecuadorians

Luisa Carolina González-Ramírez, Ximena Robalino-Flores, Eliana De la Torre, Paúl Parra-Mayorga, José Gregorio Prato, María Trelis and Màrius Vicent Fuentes
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Luisa Carolina González-Ramírez: Grupo de Investigación “Análisis de Muestras Biológicas y Forenses”, Laboratorio Clínico, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo (UNACH), Av. Antonio José de Sucre, Riobamba 060103, Ecuador
Ximena Robalino-Flores: Grupo de Investigación “Análisis de Muestras Biológicas y Forenses”, Laboratorio Clínico, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo (UNACH), Av. Antonio José de Sucre, Riobamba 060103, Ecuador
Eliana De la Torre: Grupo de Investigación “Análisis de Muestras Biológicas y Forenses”, Laboratorio Clínico, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo (UNACH), Av. Antonio José de Sucre, Riobamba 060103, Ecuador
Paúl Parra-Mayorga: Grupo de Investigación “Análisis de Muestras Biológicas y Forenses”, Carrera de Comunicación, Facultad de Ciencias Políticas y Administrativas, Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo (UNACH), Riobamba 060103, Ecuador
José Gregorio Prato: Grupo de Investigación Estudios Interdisciplinarios, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo (UNACH), Riobamba 060103, Ecuador
María Trelis: Unidad Común de Investigación en Endocrinología, Nutrición y Dietética Clínica, Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias La Fe (IISLAFE), Universitat de València, Av. Fernando Abril Martorell, 106, 46026 Valencia, Spain
Màrius Vicent Fuentes: Grupo de Investigación “Parásitos y Salud”, Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica i Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de València, Burjassot, 46010 Valencia, Spain

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 11, 1-18

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of environmental pollution and the living conditions of indigenous Ecuadorians on the transmission of enteroparasites in an Andean agricultural area located at high altitude. Environmental pollution was recorded after observation in each community. The parasites were identified by microscopic sediment analysis using physiological saline solution from macerated arthropods, washed vegetables, and human stools, utilizing four coproparasitological techniques (direct examination, Kato–Katz, ether concentration, and Ziehl–Neelsen). The results show that the inadequate disposal of human and animal excreta that contaminate soil and water, incorrect food hygiene, inadequate sanitary infrastructure in houses, a lack of animal veterinary care, and rodent proliferation are important reservoirs of zoonotic parasites. The use of excrement as fertilizer increases the number of flies, which act as mechanical vectors, and vegetables grown in areas with disperse infective parasitic forms act as vehicles that are marketed at the local, regional, and international levels. These analyses verify contamination levels of 52.7% in mechanical vectors, 70.6% in vegetables, and 98.2% in human stools. The agricultural communities analyzed maintained poor hygienic–sanitary and environmental conditions, which had a significant influence on the transmission of enteroparasites that affect human health.

Keywords: environmental contamination; intestinal parasites; vehicles; vectors; reservoirs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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