Treatment of asymptomatic carriers of Giardia lamblia in day care centers. Its utility for the reduction of endemic giardiasis

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the utility of treating children who are asymptomatic carriers of G. lamblia in a day care center with a high level of endemic giardiasis. To this end, a longitudinal study was carried out in 170 children (X ±SD: 27.5 ± 8.8 months) from 8 days care centers in Salamander for 5 consecutive seasons. Both children and day care centers were selected at random. In day care center VIII, having found a high incidence of infection without change in the level of hygiene, children who were asymptomatic carriers were treated with a single-dose of tinidazole. We found that the total incidence of giardiasis in day care centers was 25.3% (43/170 children). In day care center VIII, with a high incidence of asymptomatic carriers, a statistically significant reduction (p = 0.002) on the incidence of giardiasis was found during the two seasons following treatment (from 46.1% in the autumn of 1990 to 8% during the next winter and spring). We conclude that the treatment of asymptomatic carriers may contribute to the reduction of the levels of endemic giardiasis in those day care centers where the usual hygienic means were not found to be effective.