Evolution of the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among the French armed forces in French Guiana

Abstract

Two cross-sectional studies were performed 2 years apart in French military personnel deployed from France to French Guiana. In 2011, military medical centres in French Guiana reported 40 cases of intestinal parasitism in service members returning from illegal gold mining sites in the rainforest. In 2013, 48 out of 132 service members returning from French Guiana after a 4-month mission had eosinophilia and seven were infected with hookworm. A presumptive first-line treatment with albendazole could be the most pragmatic strategy.

Keywords: French Guiana; Soil-transmitted helminths; ankylostomiasis; army; hookworm; parasites; service members.