Intestinal Parasitic Infections in Forsyth County, North Carolina. V. Prevalences of Individual Parasites

Abstract

Previous reports have presented different aspects of the findings of a survey of intestinal parasitic infections conducted in Forsyth County, North Carolina. These investigations were undertaken because of the paucity of general information relating to the area under consideration and because of discrepancies between the observed prevalence of Entamoeba histolytica among patients at the North Carolina Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem and the prevalence of amebiasis as indicated by the morbidity data of the State Department of Health. Since it was necessary to offer treatment to infected persons in order to obtain maximum cooperation in the survey, ambulatory treatment by diiodohydroxyquin (Diodoquin) was made available to all individuals found infected by E. histolytica. The primary group examined, children in elementary schools, was utilized for a detailed study of familial amebic infections and to evaluate the usefulness of the examination of school children as a case-finding technique.The examination of urban family members revealed an unexplained higher prevalence of E. histolytica among the Negro than among the white families.