In our study, we verified the high proportion of intestinal protozoa among the enteroparasitic agents identified. These results corroborate with findings made in some regions of Brazil [11, 12], and even globally [3, 13–15]. The authors of those studies agree that most of these infections occur because these populations live in precarious conditions of basic sanitation. The highest prevalence being observed in tropical countries is due to the fact that they have the environmental conditions of tropical areas, temperature, and humidity, which are predisposing factors for renewing the parasites’ life cycles [16].
In addition, risk factors for the development of enteroparasitosis include contact with residues of different natures and water contaminated with human faeces, inadequate housing conditions, poor hygiene practices, low education, and family income [3, 5]. Continued exposure to these factors is important for maximizing the parasitic burden and, therefore, the development of intestinal parasites. It is worth noting that the very same conditions are predisposing factors of polyparasitism [3, 5, 17], as observed in our study.
According to our diagnoses, helminth infections accounted for a minor proportion of enterparasitic infections, which corroborates with the findings of Panti-May et al. [15] in Yucatan children in Mexico and with Dessie et al. [3] in schoolchildren in Ethiopia. Although enteroparasitosis affects individuals of all ages, the most vulnerable group is the one with the lowest age, coupled with the fact that children have greater contact with the soil through recreational activities. It is also noteworthy that the finding of a case of Taenia sp., such as Taenia solium, may precede cases of cysticercosis and causing co-infections [18].
Among the intestinal parasitoses with the highest prevalence worldwide are amoebiasis, hookworm infections, ascariasis, giardiasis, and tricuriasis [2, 19]. In Brazil, the scarcity of statistical data that account for the real prevalence of these parasites makes it difficult to understand the current situation in the country, and these data are only available partially and in specific settings. The World Health Organization, in its most recent report about helminths transmitted by the soil from 2018, reported that in Brazil, the number of children of preschool and school age who require preventive chemotherapy was more than nine million. Of these, about 80% had preventive chemotherapy coverage. However, this coverage was only applied to schoolchildren aged five to fifteen years [20]. In our study, the children were between five and twelve years of age; yet, we still revealed a high proportion of positive cases due to low sanitary conditions to which these children are exposed, and difficulties in accessing health services in the region.
In this study, no statistically significant association was found between the variables studied. It is likely that this is due to the level of exposure to pathogens, various forms of infection, and the homogeneity of the samples studied. Despite this, it is worth emphasising the importance of the study with regard to the high prevalence of parasites found.