Intestinal parasites among children with diarrhoea from Santiago (Cape Verde).

In Africa, intestinal parasites are common cause of death in children, affecting their immune system and increasing susceptibility to risk of other diseases.1 In Cape Verde (15°20′−14°50′ N; 23°50′−23°20′ W), infectious and parasitic diseases caused 11.1% of deaths in children under 5 years in 2017.2 Outbreaks of gastrointestinal diseases are reported every year; however, little is known on the intestinal parasites affecting this population. Therefore, we aimed to identify the intestinal parasites in children and to describe related clinical and demographic factors. Children aged 18 months to 12 years with diarrhoea were selected for the study. In 2018 and 2019, 105 fresh faecal samples were collected in sterile containers at the Pediatric Service of Dr. Agostinho Neto Hospital in Praia, the capital of Santiago (Cape Verde), and a portion was conserved in Cary-Blair medium (Biomerieux, France) at …