Enteric Bacteria and Parasites with Pathogenic Potential in Individuals of the Colombian Indigenous Tribe Kogui.

The Kogui tribe is an indigenous population living in Colombia. The prevalence values of some enteric bacteria, parasites and microsporidia in Kogui stool samples ( 192) were assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Thus, genus- or species-specifically recorded positivity rates among the Kogui community were assessed. Protozoa were the leading microorganisms in the stool samples of the Kogui, with an average of 1.5 pathogens per sample, followed by bacteria, with 0.6 pathogens per samples and helminths, with 0.3 pathogens per sample. Microsporidia were not detected. Thereby, the majority of detected protozoa comprised species with questionable etiological relevance such as ( 173) and ( 44), but also a considerable proportion of ( 71). spp., in contrast, was found in a single instance only. The majority of recorded bacteria were spp., with a strikingly high proportion of 50% ( 96), followed by spp./enteroinvasive (EIEC) ( 14) and spp. ( = 4). The quantitatively most important detected helminths were spp. ( = 15), spp. ( = 14) and ( = 12), followed by ( = 6), spp. ( = 3) and ( = 3) in descending order of abundance. As expected, the Kogui people's living conditions comprising poverty, lack of access to clean water and simple housing favor a high number of gastrointestinal infections. Preventive approaches are needed to reduce their risk of infection.