Clinical and epidemiological aspects of helminth-protozoal infections in children of the Akhtubinsk district, Astrakhan region. Analysis of work from 2013-2022 (retrospective analysis)

Arakelyan R.S., Kiseleva S.V., Vermenik A.A., Manukyan G.L., Shakhidova A.Ya., Shashkov M.S., Ditanova F.A., Dikhamindzhia N.M., Demchenko O.O.

Astrakhan State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia
Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology in the Astrakhan Region
Kuban State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia

Aim. To conduct a comprehensive study covering a retrospective analysis of clinical and epidemiological data on morbidity in children of the Akhtuba district of the Astrakhan region, accounting for their age, as well as an assessment of the effectiveness of methods used in the treatment of diseases.

Materials and methods. The study analyzed the epidemiological and outpatient records of children who were diagnosed with helminth-protozoal infections between 2013 and 2022. A total of 3,038 epidemiological maps were studied.

Results. In Akhtuba district, helminthiasis (ascariasis, enterobiosis and hymenolepidosis) predominate among children's parasitic diseases, accounting for 96.6% of the total number of cases (2934 cases). Protozoosis (giardiasis) is less common, accounting for only 3.4% (104 cases). The children infected with the parasites were divided into three age groups. The first group included children aged 9 to 12 months (3 children), which accounted for 0.1% of the total. The second group consisted of children aged 1 to 7 years (1,224 children) and accounted for 40.3% of all infected. The third group, which included children aged 7 to 17 (1,811 children), accounted for 59.6% of the total. The main reasons for seeking medical help were the identification of pathogens of parasitic invasions during various medical examinations by children – 54.1% (1,646 people), including giardiasis – 1.9% (32 people), ascariasis – 1.0% (16 people), enterobiosis – 97.0% (1,600 people) and hymenolepidosis – 0.1% (1 person).

Conclusions. After a long-term steady decrease in cases of children infection with pathogens of helminthic-protozoal invasions in the Akhtuba district of the Astrakhan region, there is an increase in the structure of parasitic morbidity by 2 times in 2022 compared to 2021. In most cases, enterobiosis and giardiasis were recorded in children. Most often, parasitic infestations were recorded in children aged 7-17 years. The main cause of infection was geophagia, onychophagia, as well as non-compliance with personal hygiene rules. After a course of chemotherapy, the result of laboratory testing in all cases is negative.