In Article <D7CDn3.G18 at udcf.glasgow.ac.uk>
Professor Malcolm McLeod <mmcleod at museum.gla.ac.uk> writes:
>My intention is to examine
>the current status of parasitic infection in the developed countries.
>There's plenty of work going on in this area in terms of AIDS-related
>illness, few people seem to interested in parasitic infections in
>immunocompetent hosts. Likely starting places for my research
>are the epidemiology of gastrointestinal protozoa in Scotland and the
>epidemiology of Enterobius vermicularis in Glasgow.
Similar work for the U.S. was recently published in the Am Jour
Trop Med Hyg (50:705-713) by Kappus et al. The paper is a summary of results
of parasit diagnostic exams compiled by state diagnostic laboratories.
Waterborne protozoa, especially Giardia, top the list. This work is also
summarized in the MMWR (40:25-30) published by the CDC. Another paper in
MMWR (42:1-21) deals specifically with waterborne disease outbreaks in the
U.S. 1991-92. There are numerous other reports of "special interest" outbreaks
in the U.S. however I can't put my finger on the references right now.
Some of these are an outbreak of Cryptosporidosis in a daycare center (MMWR
don't know specific vol & pg), an outbreak of Amebiasis associated with colonic
irrigation (MMWR 30:101-02), an outbreak of Taenia solium cysticercosis in an
orthodox Jewish community associated with Latin American domesitic help
(Schantz et al 1994 or 95, Am Jour Epidemiology ???). I think it would be
interesting to look at interactions that put "specific groups" at increased
risk for parasitic illness. For example those who employ domesitic help from
3rd world/refugee populations, returning missionaries, backpacker/rock climber/
outdoor recreation enthusiasts. Prevalence rates in these populations could
be compared to the general (low risk) population for the purpose of
understanding transmission potential, and make public health recommendations
to reduce infections in the future. You may also consider pulling together
Ab titer data for infections like T. gondii if it is a regular practice to
screen females prior to or in the early stages of pregnancy.
Hope this is helpful. Keep us informed of your research.
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* Charles T. Faulkner * Get your facts first and then you
* Univ of Tennessee, Knoxville * can distort them as much as you please.
* (ctfaulkn at utkvx.utk.edu) * Mark Twain
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