Introduction: the intestinal parasitic infections are still endemic in Cuba, with a higher frequency in rural and mountain regions. Twenty five years after the last national survey, it deemed necessary to carry out a new national survey in order to know the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections and to compare the obtained results between both studies. That knowledge would be valuable to work out strategies of health and to design a control program for intestinal parasitic infections in Cuba.
Objective: to determine the current prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in Cuba and to compare these results with those obtained from the previous survey after a 25 year-period.
Methods: a cross sectional study was conducted from May to August of 2009 in a sample of Cuban population. A stool sample was collected from each individual, which was analyzed by direct examination, Willis' brine flotation method and the Kato-Katz thick smear technique. Additionally, a questionnaire was administered.
Results: the comparison between 1984 and 2009 surveys showed a general decrease of frequencies of intestinal parasitic infections caused by both helminths and pathogenic protozoa; however, the percentage of infections with commensal protozoa increased in 2009. In this last survey, there was observed decline of frequencies of infections with soil transmitted species, Trichuris trichiura, Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworm, and Strongyloides stercoralis and the pathogenic protozoa: Giardiau lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar, and the commensals: Endolimax nana and Entamoeba coli. The intestinal parasite Enterobius vermicularis was the only parasitic species that increased the frequency of infections with respect to the 1984 survey. The frequencies of parasitic and commensal infections in both studies were higher in the 5-14 y age group (school age).
Conclusions: the comparison between the intestinal parasitic infections surveys of 1984 and 2009 showed a reduction in the frequencies of intestinal parasitic infections in the last survey. The finding in both studies of a higher frequency of pathogenic parasitic infections and commensal infections in the 5-14 y age group (school age) supports the recommendation of making emphasis on the control programs for intestinal parasitic infections in this age group.