Brief Article
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World J Clin Infect Dis. May 25, 2013; 3(2): 13-19
Published online May 25, 2013. doi: 10.5495/wjcid.v3.i2.13
Natural contamination of human hands with enteric parasites in Indian Subcontinent
M Khalid Ijaz, Kaisar A Talukder, Mohammad Aslam, Rashidul Haque, Sandipan Ganguly, Ishrat J Azmi, Md Shawkat Hossain, Avik Kumar Mukherjee, Dibyendu Raj, Ijaz Ahmed, Jabeen Kamal, Joseph R Rubino, Alam Nur-E-Kamal
M Khalid Ijaz, Joseph R Rubino, Reckitt Benckiser LLC, One Philips Parkway, Montvale, NJ 07645, United States
Kaisar A Talukder, Mohammad Aslam, Rashidul Haque, Ishrat J Azmi, Md Shawkat Hossain, International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
Sandipan Ganguly, Avik Kumar Mukherjee, Dibyendu Raj, Division of Parasitology, National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Kolkata-700010, India
Ijaz Ahmed, Jabeen Kamal, Alam Nur-E-Kamal, Department of Biology, Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York, Brooklyn, New York, NY 11225, United States
Author contributions: All the authors contributed to this paper.
Supported by President’s Award, Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York and Reckitt Benckiser LLC, New Jersey, United States
Correspondence to: Alam Nur-E-Kamal, PhD, Department of Biology, Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York, 1150 Carroll Street, Brooklyn, NY 11225, United States. alam@mec.cuny.edu
Telephone: +1-718-2705078 Fax: +1-718-22706498
Received: February 4, 2013
Revised: April 7, 2013
Accepted: May 9, 2013
Published online: May 25, 2013
Processing time: 111 Days and 3.5 Hours
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the prevalence of enteric parasite contamination on hands and the potential role naturally contaminated hands may have in their transmission.

METHODS: Prior to initiating the survey, the protocol was reviewed and approved by respective Institutional Review Boards of each survey site (Dhaka, Bangladesh and Kolkata, India). Both stool and corresponding hand wash samples collected, were analyzed for the presence of enteric parasitic ova/(oo)cysts employing conventional microscopy coupled with permanent staining techniques. Additionally molecular approaches such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of enteric parasites recovered from both stool and corresponding hand wash samples, were also used to further confirm their identity.

RESULTS: A total of 972 stool samples were collected from both sites surveyed (300 volunteers from Kolkata, India and 672 from Dhaka, Bangladesh). Parasitic analysis revealed, 113 (38%) from Kolkata, India and 267 (40%) of stool samples from Dhaka, Bangladesh were positive for parasitic ova/(oo)cysts. When the corresponding hand wash samples were analyzed, 43 (14%) stool-positive volunteers in Kolkata, India and 47 (7%) in Dhaka, Bangladesh were positive for enteric parasitic ova/(oo)cysts. Ascaris lumbricoides (A. lumbricoides) ova and Giardia lamblia (G. lamblia) cysts predominated in hands wash samples from both sites surveyed (from India, A. lumbricoides ova, 53%; G. lamblia cysts 31% and from Bangladesh, A. lumbricoides ova, 47%; G. lamblia cysts 19%). Genotypic analysis of enteric parasitic ova/(oo)cysts obtained from both stool and corresponding hand wash samples taken from the same person were found to be identical.

CONCLUSION: These results suggest a possible role of hands contaminated with enteric parasites’ ova/(oo)cysts in the transmission of these parasites highlighting another role of hand hygiene/proper hand washing in reducing the disease burden in low socioeconomic communities.

Keywords: Enteric parasites; Ascaris lumbricoides; Giardia lamblia; Natural contamination of hands

Core tip: The authors report contamination of human hands with enteric parasites in two independent sites surveyed in two developing countries of the Indian Subcontinent. This study indicates that contamination of hands with parasite ova/(oo)cysts are common among those populations already infected and this may play a role in continued cycle of transmission and/or re-infection within the community.