The human impact of colonization and parasite infestation in subtropical lowlands of Bolivia

Abstract

The effect of colonization on the infestation by intestinal parasites was examined in the subtropical lowlands of Bolivia. High frequency of parasite carriers indicates the close parasite-human relationship in this area. But the variation in the extent of infestation among colonies shows the modification of this relationship by the development of cultivation and/or adjustment for living facilities which were influenced by differential colonizing processes in terms of the time elapsing since initial settlement, the type of colonization and the origin of the colonists.