• P Prociv, R Luke, and P Quayle.
• Department of Parasitology, University of Queensland, St Lucia.
• Med. J. Aust. 1992 Jan 20; 156 (2): 115-7.

ObjectiveTo report on the endemicity of Isospora belli in Queensland.DesignA 10-year retrospective survey of data from routine parasitological surveillance of Queensland Aboriginal communities, by microscopic examination of preserved faecal specimens.SettingThe Aboriginal Health Programme of the Queensland Department of Health and Medical Services.PopulationChildren under 15 years of age from all the Aboriginal communities of Queensland.ResultsOocysts of I. belli were detected in 33 (0.2%) of a total of 17,642 faecal samples examined.ConclusionIsosporiasis is endemic in the Queensland Aboriginal population. It is likely to be more common than indicated, because the infection is difficult to diagnose, and the techniques used to identify the organism were not particularly sensitive. It is predicted that isosporiasis will be recognised with increasing frequency as a cause of diarrhoea in Aboriginal and white Australians who develop AIDS.

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