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Conference Agenda

Overview and details of the sessions of this conference. Please select a date or location to show only sessions at that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view (with abstracts and downloads if available).

Daily Overview

Session

CP3.2: Tropical Health 5 min talks sponsored by QIMR Berghofer, Centre for Tropical Health & Emerging Diseases
Location: Lecture Theatre 3
Session Chair: Darren Gray, QIMR Berghofer
Session Chair: Chika Zumuk, Queensland Institute of Medical Research

Presentation 2

An update on the assessment of intestinal parasite diversity in a tuberculosis-endemic community in rural Papua New Guinea

Jessica Scott¹, Daniel Pelowa², Wayne Melrose¹, Catherine Rush¹, Jeffrey Warner¹

1: James Cook University, Townsville, Australia; 2: Balimo District Hospital, Balimo, Western Province, Papua New Guinea

The prevalence and diversity of intestinal parasites in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and their potential impact as co-morbidities on endemic infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis (TB), remain poorly understood. This cross-sectional study provides an updated assessment of intestinal parasites (helminths and protozoa) in a TB-endemic rural PNG community. Participants were recruited from Balimo District Hospital, with stool and blood samples collected in June 2019 and January 2020. Faecal specimens (n=164) were examined by microscopy and qPCR, and plasma samples (n=121) were tested for Strongyloides-specific IgG antibodies using a commercial ELISA

Overall, 95.1% of participants had at least one type of intestinal parasite. Intestinal protozoa were detected in 85.4% of participants, most commonly detected were Blastocystis spp. (77.4%), Entamoeba hartmanni (29.3%), E. coli (23.3%), Dientamoeba fragilis (16.5%) and E. polecki (12.8%). Helminths were detected in 65.9%, predominantly Necator americanus (44.5%), Ascaris lumbricoides (37.8%) and Strongyloides spp. (17.7%). Polyparasitism was common, with 44.5% harbouring multiple protozoan and 31.1% infected with two or more helminths. These findings demonstrate a high burden and diversity of intestinal parasites in rural PNG. Whether co-infection with these parasites impacts the clinical outcome TB remains to be determined.