{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,26]],"date-time":"2026-07-26T06:38:55Z","timestamp":1785047935913,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,9]],"date-time":"2021-10-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1633737600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,9]],"date-time":"2021-10-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1633737600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["BMC Infect Dis"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2021,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>In Ghana, <jats:italic>Balantidium coli<\/jats:italic> (<jats:italic>B. coli<\/jats:italic>) has been identified in vegetables and in pigs, although there is a paucity of data regarding human balantidiosis. This study sought to assess human <jats:italic>B. coli<\/jats:italic> infection in Ghana, factors associated with the infection as well as its association with haematological and biochemical parameters.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>Two pig rearing communities in the Ga West Municipality, Ghana, were involved in this study. Stool and blood samples were collected from pig farmers and their exposed household members as well as relevant information on potential associated factors. Eosin-saline wet preparation was done on the same day of stool samples were collected while formol ether concentration technique was performed later. Haematological, biochemical parameters and serum electrolytes were determined using Celltac MEK-6500\u2009K, PKL-125 biochemical analyser, and FT-320 electrolyte analyser, respectively.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>The overall prevalence of balantidiosis was 10.4\u2009%, significantly higher among farmers (21.7\u2009%) than in exposed household members (5.8\u2009%) (<jats:italic>x<\/jats:italic><jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup>\u2009=\u200917.8, p\u2009=\u20090.000025). Of the 43 infected individuals, 20.9\u2009% were co-infected with either <jats:italic>Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia<\/jats:italic>, or <jats:italic>Schistosoma mansoni.<\/jats:italic> In <jats:italic>B. coli<\/jats:italic> infection, mild to moderate anaemia together with a reduction in levels of platelet, albumin and, sodium, chloride, and bicarbonate ions were observed. However, white blood cells were significantly elevated in infected states. Poor farming practices such as free-range systems, improper disposal of pig faeces, lack of use of protective farming clothing, and unavailability of dedicated farming clothing were found to be associated with <jats:italic>B. coli<\/jats:italic> infection status. Finally, frequent diarrhea (OR\u2009=\u200912.30, p\u2009=\u20090.006) with occult blood (OR\u2009=\u200925.94, p\u2009&lt;\u20090.0001) were found to be predictors of <jats:italic>B. coli<\/jats:italic> infection.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>Human balantidiosis is endemic in Ga West Municipality, Ghana. Individuals living closed to pig rearing communities presenting with frequent diarrhea with occult blood in stool should be screened and treated for balantidiosis to mitigate the clinical consequences of the infection.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1186\/s12879-021-06731-2","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,10]],"date-time":"2021-10-10T20:16:23Z","timestamp":1633896983000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":11,"title":["Prevalence and risk factors of human Balantidium coli infection and its association with haematological and biochemical parameters in Ga West Municipality, Ghana"],"prefix":"10.1186","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6489-167X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Enoch","family":"Aninagyei","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Salifu","family":"Nanga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Desmond Omane","family":"Acheampong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rita","family":"Mensah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mercy Nelly","family":"Boadu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Henrietta Terko","family":"Kwansa-Bentum","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Clement Okraku","family":"Tettey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,9]]},"reference":[{"issue":"2","key":"6731_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"88","DOI":"10.4314\/gmj.v52i2.5","volume":"52","author":"C Kudah","year":"2018","unstructured":"Kudah C. 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Written consent for participation was sought from each farmer and household members above 18\u2009years, while written parental consent was also obtained for participants less than 19\u2009years. Infected individuals were referred to the municipal hospital for management after adequate counselling.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethics approval and consent to participate"}},{"value":"Not applicable.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Consent for publication"}},{"value":"The authors declare that they have no competing interests.","order":4,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Competing interests"}}],"article-number":"1047"}}