[Clinical and epidemiological study of intestinal coccidioses in a rural population of a semiarid region from Falcon state, Venezuela].

Although intestinal coccidioses caused by Cryptosporidium sp., Cystoisospora belli and Cyclospora cayetanensis are parasitic diseases of major clinical importance in Public Health, several clinical and epidemiological aspects of these diseases still remain unknown in Falcon state, Venezuela. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between June and October 2011, to investigate clinical and epidemiological data in 157 people (X +/- S.D. = 21.28 +/- 17 years-old) from Sabaneta, Falcón state, Venezuela. Symptoms associated with intestinal coccidioses were determined by means of anamnesis and clinical examination. Direct smear and Kinyoun staining were used to perform the parasitological diagnosis. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasites was 61.78% (97/157) and Blastocystis sp. was the most prevalent intestinal parasite (56.68%). Coccidioses prevalence was 26.11% (41/157) and among these, cyclosporiasis was the most prevalent with 24.2%. There were no statistically significant differences in the prevalence between sexes or ages (X2 = 0.20; p = 0.70 and X2 = 10.06; p = 0.44, respectively). Diarrhea and epigastralgia were the most common clinical findings, and the only ones significantly associated with intestinal coccidioses (p < 0.05). In the light of these results, it can be concluded that hand washing (OR = 1.93), bathing (OR = 2.78), keeping domestic animals (OR = 10.1) and their feeding with waste (OR = 6.58), are potential risk factors that appeared to be significantly related to the transmission and endemic maintenance of intestinal coccidioses.