Analysis of Parasitic Infections among Foreigners in Southern Taiwan

• Main Authors: Shuh-Nien Leu, 呂曙年
• Other Authors: Eng-Rin Chen
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2003
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/22229233452697691811

碩士 === 高雄醫學大學 === 醫學研究所 === 91 === Abstract Recently , due to the changes of social structure , the demand of human resources and the attempt of internationalization of our country , a lot of foreign workers such as laborers , teachers and nursing care helpers , and brides had been imported to Taiwan . According to the statistic analysis made by the Department of Health , Executive Yuan in 2000 , there were 13,424 foreign workers failed to one or more items of physical examinations in 10 items .Among them the highest failure rate , 92.02% or 12,353 workers , was found in the item of intestinal parasitic infection . From 1997 to 2001 , totally , 4,445 stool samples and 4,445 blood samples collected from 17 countries had been examined at Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital . Their nationality , sex , age and occupation were also analyzed . All blood samples examined showed negative for blood parasites . The result of stool examination revealed that 9.44% or 420 samples were positive for one or more species of intestinal parasites , among 9 species of helminths found from 420 samples , the higher infection rates were 1.84%(81/4,445) for Hookworm and 1.68%(75/4,445) for Trichuris trichiura respectively , and among 7 species of protozoa , the higher rates were 1.19%(53/4,445) for Blastocystis hominis and 1.15%(51/4,445) for Entameba hartmani respectively . According to the nationality , the higher rates were found in Combodia (21.4%) , Vietnam (16.2%) and Indonesia (12.9%) . The infection rate in males was 6.33%(108/1,707) and 11.40%(312/2,738) in females , which is significantly higher (p<0.005) than that of males . According to the age group , the higher positives rates were found in under 19 years old and in above 60 years old , but the highest positive rate was seen in between 20 and 29 years old . The higher infection rates 15.3% (216/1,414) was seen in foreign brides . Entamoeba histolytica is one of notifiable infectious diseases , that may be infected by person to person without delay . Among 14 positives of Entamoeba histolytica , 7 positives including 6 brides and 1 nursing care helper , may spread this disease by their close contact to the family members . This notifiable parasitic disease may influence the strategy of national public health policy and its endemicity . Our government should pay more attention to this kind of communicable disease .