OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prevalence of intestinal parasites in elderly patients from a geriatric ambulatory in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, and in elderly residents of two long-stay institutions in the same city, as well as to evaluate the presence of enteroparasites in the elderly's pets. METHODS: Stool samples from the elderly and the pets were analyzed through fecal parasitological examination. To evaluate the enteroparasites, macroscopic exam, concentration methods of Hoffman, Pons and Janer and the Baermann-Moraes method were used. Socioeconomic conditions and hygiene habits were evaluated, and for the elderly that had pets a questionnaire about their way of life was applied. RESULTS: 310 elderly were studied with mean age of 78.6±8.4 years old, 77.1% were women and 22.9% were man. The prevalence of intestinal parasites was 12.9% for the elderly from the geriatric ambulatory and 12.9% for the institutionalized elderly. The results showed no association between enteroparasites from pets and their owner, because no elder who had a pet with parasitic disease presented positive result in fecal examination. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of enteroparasites in the elderly from Porto Alegre was lower than in other studies. These results showed that each geographic area has its socioeconomic, environmental, and educational peculiarities. The studies should be continued in the elderly from different areas of Rio Grande do Sul and Brazil to identify particular situations. Sanitary measures and education can be proposed based on such studies to improve population health.
Parasitic Diseases; Aged; Prevalence; Health of the Elderly
