Molecular identification of Giardia intestinalis in two cities of the Colombian Caribbean Coast.

INTRODUCTION: Parasitoses are an important health problem and its post-infectious consequences can cause high morbidity and mortality, worldwide. Epidemiological data is scarce in our region. We aimed to obtain frequency and circulating genotypes of Giardia intestinalis in two cities of the Caribbean Coast.

METHODS: To identify parasites in samples, a fecal concentration and microscopical examination were performed. For further identification and genotyping of G. intestinalis, molecular analyses were performed using specific available primers.

RESULTS: Only 22.1% of participants had gastrointestinal symptoms (most frequently: abdominal pain and diarrhea). Microscopy examination was positive in 72.7% of the samples. The most frequent parasite was G. intestinalis (48.1%) and we found mixed parasitic infections in 46.7% of the participants. All the samples from Santa Marta were molecularly characterized as assemblage A of G. intestinalis, while in Cartagena we confirmed the presence of assemblages A and B.

CONCLUSIONS: Molecular tools are important in the diagnosis of parasites and to increase comprehension of their distribution. In this study, a higher frequency of parasites, mostly protozoa, was observed.