| Autor: |
Hsu SL; Department of Molecular Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan.; Dr. Rolf M. Schwiete Center for Limbal Stem Cell and Congenital Aniridia Research, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany.; Department of Ophthalmology, Saarland University Medical Center, 66421 Homburg, Germany., Fan CK; Department of Molecular Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan.; Research Center of International Tropical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan.; Cell Physiology and Molecular Image Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, No. 111, Section 3, Xinglong Road, Wen-Shan District, Taipei 11696, Taiwan. |
| Abstrakt: |
Emerging and re-emerging parasitic diseases can cause significant economic burdens at national and global levels. However, governments often underestimate or ignore these diseases, especially in developed countries. This retrospective, case-oriented study analyzed parasitic diseases reported in Taiwan between 2001 and 2018. One hundred and thirty-two eligible clinical profiles of Taiwanese patients obtained from the NCBI, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science databases and local journals according to age, sex, source of infection, symptoms, risk factors, and geographical regions were analyzed. The analysis results showed that the number/frequency of cases caused by nematodes (46.97%) or protozoa (37.88%) was significantly higher than that of trematodes (9.85%) or cestodes (5.30%) ( p < 0.0001). Northern Taiwan (46.97%) had a significantly higher rate than Southern Taiwan (33.33%), Central Taiwan (8.33%), and Eastern Taiwan (5.30%) ( p < 0.05). The 15-65 age group (68.94%) had a significantly higher rate than the 65-90 age group (22.73%) and the 0-15 age group (8.33%) ( p < 0.0001). Males (70.46%) had a significantly higher number/frequency of cases than females (29.54%) ( p < 0.0001). People who acquired the infection through the food/soil route (32.58%) or who had a low immune status (32.58%) had a higher rate than travel-related infections (15.15%) ( p < 0.001). The present study showed that emerging/reemerging parasitic infections continue to be of great concern to the lives and health of Taiwanese citizens and, if ignored, will threaten the health of the Taiwanese people; therefore, the delineation of preventive measures by health authorities is urgently warranted. |
