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Participation of International Key Personalities

Seminar on parasitosis in Orán, Salta

It was organized by the Institute of Tropical Disease Research of National University of Salta, Mundo Sano, San Vicente de Paul Hospital. the Laboratory of Tropical Diseases and the Municipality of Hipólito Irigoyen. 

More than twenty key personalities in the area of research on parasitosis at the national and international levels met in Orán, province of Salta, with the aim to discuss new strategies for the management of soil-transmitted helminths (geohelminthiases)and reach consensus about them.

Marco Albonico, of the World Health Organization, Jozef Vercruysse and Bruno Levecke, of Ghent University -Belgium-, Albis Gabrielli, of the Pan American Health Organization, and Patrick Lammie, of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), were some of the scientists convened by the Institute of Tropical Disease Research of the National University of Salta—Orán office—, San Vicente de Paul Hospital, the Laboratory of Tropical Diseases, the Municipality of Hipólito Irigoyen and Fundación Mundo Sano to take part in this seminar, which was declared of provicial interest by the Honorable Chamber of Deputies and of academic interest by the National University of Salta.     

The opening session was in charge of Doctors Julio Cortés, Manager at San Vicente de Paul Hospital and Alejandro Krolewiecki, leader of the program for strongyloidiasis diagnosis and treatment developed in the city of Orán by Mundo Sano, the Institute of Tropical Diseases of Salta University and the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases.

“One of the goals of our seminar is to take the activities performed in the region as a starting point for future actions, determine which the best tools for health interventions are, and assess the current management practices issued by the World Health Organization”, assured Krolewiecki. After givinng a detailed description of the different geohelminthiases in Argentina, the specialist pointed out that in order to avoid infections by these parasites, community deworming treatments are essential, as well as health education and presence of waste water and drinking water lines are key elements.

Based on the progress made in the field of veterinary medicine, Josef Vercruysse of Ghent University in Belgium referred to the essays and analyses being performed for the treatment of these parasitoses in animals. Furthermore, he mentioned the degrees of effectiveness of the different types of drugs used—such as albendazole and mebendazole—for the treatment of different parasitoses like A. Lumbricoides, geohelminthiases and T. Trichiuria, among others.

Apart from monitoring the effectiveness of the drugs used in parasitoses control, reference diagnostic methods were discussed and an upgrading workshop on lab techniques was offered to local specialists.

Mundo Sano fighting strongyloidiasis

During this seminar, Dr. Eugenia Socías of Fundación Mundo Sano, introduced the first developments of its pilot program for strongyloidiasis diagnosis and treatment in Orán. This project’s preliminary results state that 25% of the local population in Orán is infected by some parasitosis. Within this group, strongyloidiasis prevalence is high since it affects at least 12% of the total number of affected patients.

Strongyloidiasis is an intestinal parasitosis that affects both men and women, and especially children.  One of its main features is that it can cause re-infections in humans and remain in the body for periods longer than 60 years. Strongyloides larvae live in contaminated soil and can enter the body through the skin or the mouth. This parasitosis gives rise to undernourisment, digestive disorders, defence alterations and delayed development and growth in children.

This program—which was developed by Fundación Mundo Sano, the Institute of Tropical Diseases of University of Salta and the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases—addresses parasitosis at a community level.  The treatment proposed by the program is the combined single-dose innovative administration of two drugs—invermectin and albendazole, already proved for several parasitoses—which are available to all the inhabitants in the populations selected for the study in Orán. Specialists use a new method for the diagnosis of strongyloidiasis which is easier to implement than the parasitologic study of feces. A blood test can detect the antibodies generated by the body when the parasite is present.

Since this is one of the so-called neglected diseases, the program does not only analyse the epidemiological, diagnostic, therapeutic and biological aspects of parasitosis but also addresses the cultural and socioeconomic aspects of the urban and rural areas affected.