Resumen

MUNOZ ORTIZ, Victoria; LIZARAZU CHACON, Paola Viviana; LIMACHE, Gualberto  y  CONDORI MATIAS, Dina Dimelza. Blastocistosis and other intestinal parasitosis in elderlyresidents from San Ramón home, La paz, Bolivia. BIOFARBO [online]. 2008, vol.16, n.1, pp. 9-15. ISSN 1813-5363.

In this study we determined  the prevalence of enteroparasites in elderly residents in the San Ramón Old People’s Home, La Paz, in the period from June to December 2007; We analized 110 samples,  using the methods of direct observation, and a modification of the Ritchie method. Contamination by parasites and/comensals was detected in 81 elderly people (73.6%). The most frequent parasite was Blastocystis hominis (56.4%) followed by  Entamoeba coli (35.5%), Endolimax nana  (20%), Chilomastix mesnili (14.5%), Entamoeba hartmanni (8.2%), Iodamoeba butschlii (3.6), Giardia lamblia (3.6%), Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar (1.8%) Strongyloides stercoralis (0.9) and Ancylostomideos (0.9%).  Monoparasitism and  biparasitism prevailed.   The Chi-Square test did not show a statistically significant association between sex, age and Blastocystis hominis.   We would like to recommend the implementation will further knowledge of the degree of infection in the elderly and the handling of infections such as parasitism and other pathologies of the senescent patient. This is even more important if we consider a prediction on an increase of the number of elderly patients and extencion of their longevity

Palabras llave : Blastocystis hominis; intestinal parasites; elderly; Bolivia.