Pintal-Ślimak Monika, Wilczyńska Wanesa, Grzeszczak Konrad, Grubman-Nowak Marta, Korzeniewski Krzysztof
National Chamber of Laboratory Diagnosticians, Warsaw, Poland.
Department of Epidemiology and Tropical Medicine; Military Institute of Medicine - National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland.
Int Marit Health. 2025;76(2):126-135. doi: 10.5603/imh.104864.
Central African Republic (CAR) is one of the poorest countries in the world with nearly 65% of its inhabitants living in extreme poverty, and 87% lacking access to safely managed sanitation facilities. Poor sanitation and limited access to healthcare contribute to high transmission of intestinal parasitoses. The present study aimed to assess the occurrence of intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) in two separate ethnic groups inhabiting the rainforests in the Lobaye Prefecture in the southern parts of the CAR: the nomadic BaAka Pygmies and the sedentary Bantu people. In addition, the results obtained from the examination of the Pygmy people were compared to the results of the 2021 study on the occurrence of IPIs in a Pygmy community inhabiting the Sangha-Mbaéré Prefecture in the CAR, in the context of the effectiveness of mass deworming actions among the population living in the forest ecosystem.
Stool samples for parasitological examination were collected from 170 patients (145 Bantu people and 25 BaAka Pygmies) in September 2024 at a healthcare facility in Bagandou, the Lobaye Prefecture, CAR. The exclusion criterion was taking antiparasitic drugs within four weeks before collecting the biological material for testing. The collected biological material was fixed in SAF fixative, and next it was transported to the Department of Epidemiology and Tropical Medicine at the Military Institute of Medicine - the National Research Institute in Poland, where it was examined by light microscopy; the specimens were prepared for examination using three different methods (a direct smear in Lugol's solution, decantation with distilled water, the Fülleborn's flotation method).
A total of 38.2% of the study participants were found to be infected with at least one clinically significant parasitic species. Apart from potentially pathogenic Blastocystis spp. and non-pathogenic protozoa, hookworm, Giardia intestinalis and Ascaris lumbricoides were found to be the most prevalent parasitic species in the study participants. More than 60% of the participants were found to be co-infected with at least two different parasitic species. The occurrence of IPIs was significantly higher in BaAka Pygmies compared to the sedentary Bantu people. It also demonstrated that the infection rate was lower in older age groups.
The study demonstrated a high occurrence of intestinal parasitic infections both among BaAka Pygmies and in the Bantu people inhabiting the Lobaye Prefecture. Mass deworming campaigns conducted by catholic missionaries, as well as non-governmental organisations, are not effective in reducing the number of STH cases in the local communities. Continuous exposure to risk factors and the unique lifestyle of the local residents put them at risk of permanent reinfections.
中非共和国（CAR）是世界上最贫穷的国家之一，近65%的居民生活在极端贫困中，87%的人无法使用安全管理的卫生设施。卫生条件差和获得医疗保健的机会有限导致肠道寄生虫病的高传播率。本研究旨在评估居住在中非共和国南部洛巴耶省雨林中的两个不同族群——游牧的巴阿卡俾格米人和定居的班图人——肠道寄生虫感染（IPIs）的发生情况。此外，将俾格米人的检查结果与2021年在中非共和国桑加-姆巴雷省一个俾格米社区进行的IPIs发生情况研究结果进行比较，以探讨森林生态系统中居民群体大规模驱虫行动的有效性。
2024年9月，在中非共和国洛巴耶省巴甘杜的一家医疗机构，从170名患者（145名班图人和25名巴阿卡俾格米人）中采集粪便样本进行寄生虫学检查。排除标准是在采集用于检测的生物材料前四周内服用过抗寄生虫药物。采集的生物材料用SAF固定剂固定，然后运往波兰国家军事医学研究所流行病学和热带医学部，在那里通过光学显微镜进行检查；标本采用三种不同方法制备用于检查（卢戈氏溶液直接涂片、蒸馏水倾析法、富勒本浮选法）。
共有38.2%的研究参与者被发现感染了至少一种具有临床意义的寄生虫种类。除了潜在致病性的芽囊原虫属和非致病性原生动物外，钩虫、肠贾第虫和蛔虫被发现是研究参与者中最常见的寄生虫种类。超过60%的参与者被发现同时感染了至少两种不同的寄生虫种类。与定居的班图人相比，巴阿卡俾格米人中IPIs的发生率显著更高。研究还表明，老年人群的感染率较低。
该研究表明，居住在洛巴耶省的巴阿卡俾格米人和班图人中肠道寄生虫感染的发生率都很高。天主教传教士以及非政府组织开展的大规模驱虫运动在减少当地社区土壤传播性蠕虫病病例数量方面并不有效。持续接触危险因素以及当地居民独特的生活方式使他们面临再次感染的风险。
