[Various epidemiological aspects of Enterobius vermicularis infection inpatients served at public outpatient clinics and hospitals from the northern section of Santiago, Chile, 1995].

During 1995, we examined 2,666 Graham's tests (five perianal swabs with adhesive cellulose tape) prescribed to ambulatory patients attended in 14 public outpatient clinics and four hospitals from the north section of Santiago. The infection rates found by age groups were the following: 6.1% in infants (< 2 years old), 20.9% in pre-schoolchildren (2 < 6 years old), 35.2% in elementary schoolchildren (6 < 15 years old) and 15.2% in adults (> 15 years old). Similar percentages of E. vermicularis infections were observed in females and males patients. Frequency of infection in each month of the year varied between 17.4 and 26.8%, with no seasonal variation. This study and previous surveys are stressing that E. vermicularis is the most frequent helminthic agent found in Chile, specially in elementary school children.