High Prevalence of Intestinal Pathogens in Indigenous in Colombia

• Main Authors: Simone Kann, Daniela Bruennert, Jessica Hansen, Gustavo Andrés Concha Mendoza, José José Crespo Gonzalez, Cielo Leonor Armenta Quintero, Miriam Hanke, Ralf Matthias Hagen, Joy Backhaus, Hagen Frickmann
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-08-01
• Series: Journal of Clinical Medicine
• Subjects: protozoa infections; helminthes; bacterial infections; gastrointestinal infection
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/9/9/2786

Background: Intestinal infections remain a major public health burden in developing countries. Due to social, ecological, environmental, and cultural conditions, Indigenous peoples in Colombia are at particularly high risk. Materials: 137 stool samples were analyzed by microscopy and real-time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), targeting protozoan parasites (<i>Giardia intestinalis, Entamoeba histolytica, Cryptosporidium </i>spp., and<i> Cyclospora cayetanensis</i>), bacteria (<i>Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella </i>spp.,<i> Shigella </i>ssp.<i>/</i>enteroinvasive<i> E. coli (</i>EIEC)<i>, Yersinia </i>spp., enterohemorrhagic <i>E. coli</i> (EHEC)<i>, </i>enteropathogenic<i> E. coli ( </i>EPEC)<i>, </i>enterotoxin-producing<i> E. coli (</i>ETEC)<i>, </i>enteroaggregative<i> E. coli (</i>EAEC)<i>,</i> and <i>Tropheryma whipplei),</i> and helminths (<i>Necator americanus, Strongyloides stercoralis, Ascaris lumbricoides, Ancylostoma </i>spp.,<i> Trichuris. trichiura, Taenia </i>spp., <i>Hymenolepis nana</i>, <i>Enterobius vermicularis</i>, and<i> Schistosoma </i>spp.). Microscopy found additional cases of helminth infections. Results: At least one pathogen was detected in 93% of the samples. The overall results revealed protozoa in 79%, helminths in 69%, and bacteria in 41%. <i>G. intestinalis </i>(48%)<i>,</i> Necator/hookworm (27%), and EAEC (68%) were the most common in each group. Noteworthy, <i>T. whipplei</i> was positive in 7% and <i>T. trichirua</i> in 23% of the samples. A significant association of one infection promoting the other was determined for <i>G. intestinalis</i> and <i>C. jejuni, </i>helminth infections, and EIEC. Conclusions: The results illustrate the high burden of gastrointestinal pathogens among Indigenous peoples compared to other developing countries. Countermeasures are urgently required.