A SURVEY OF PARASITIC INFECTIONS IN A RURAL COMMUNITY NEAR CALCUTTA1

Abstract

A rural parasitological survey of 1,184 individuals was conducted from November, 1961 through January, 1963 in the Bandipur Union, about 40 miles north of Calcutta. Ancylostomiasis was detected in 78% of the sample, but less than 1% of these had egg counts above 2,600 per gram of feces. The calculated index of infection was about 247. No evidence of severe hookworm anemia was found. Nearly one-half (47%) of the children harbored hookworms by the age of five years. Prevalence of this infection increased to 95% in the 16–30 age group, but decreased significantly (73%) in the 31–50 age class. All persons in this sample over 50 years of age were infected with these parasites. Treatment of some unselected volunteers with bephenium hydroxynapthoate indicated that both Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale occurred together in 72% of the cases; N. americanus was numerically predominant among the total number of specimens recovered. No significant seasonal variations, either in prevalence or intensity of ancylostomiasis, were found. The prevalence of other intestinal helminths, as well as of intestimal protozoa, was very low. Positive skin-reactions to a semi-purified hydatid antigen were observed in 10.8% of 666 persons tested. Seven of these presented clinical symptoms suggestive of echinococcosis. Blood specimens from 875 individuais revealed no cases of malaria, and only two of microfilaremia, in which the organisms were identified as Wuchereria bancrofti. A high frequency of occurrence of eosinophilia was found, which could not be attributed entirely to infections with patent intestinal helminths.