A survey of intestinal parasites in rural children.

A study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites in a group of rural, economically disadvantaged children. Thirty-four percent of 108 children were found to have a clinically significant parasite. The most common organism was Giardia lamblia (22 percent). Those children with Giardia were significantly (P = .05) smaller than those with negative stool examinations. Even in areas with a low overall prevalence of intestinal parasites, certain high-risk groups may have significant levels of infection.