Abstract

ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND:
Intestinal parasitic infections represent a relevant clinical problem especially in the developing countries, where they are responsible for morbidity and mortality in adults and children.
Many epidemiological data are available for this type of infection in Iraq and other developing countries, but still we need to investigate more localities in order to know the difference in it’s frequency among different areas and to evaluate factors that affect such difference.
AIM OF THE STUDY:
This study was subjected to emphasize the problem of intestinal parasitosis among people in Samarra’a City and to visualize its distribution according to age and sex.
METHODS:
A total of 1050 patients (580 males and 470 females) , referred to the laboratory in a health center in Samarra’a City for the suspect of intestinal parasitosis, were subjected to stool examination by direct method during the period from January to May 2002.
RESULTS:
Among the 1050 stool samples examined, intestinal parasites were reported in 254 (24.19%), both sexes were nearly equally affected (24.46% in females & 23.96% in males). Interestingly infection with protozoa was predominating, the most common protozoa was Entamoeba histolytica /E.dispar (13.33%), the next common pathogenic protozoan found was Giardia lamblia (9.04%). Non pathogenic protozoan Entamoeba coli was seen in 17 individuals (1.62%).
Only two cases of helminthes infections were reported in this study (0.2%), both were infected with Hymenolepis nana which is a tapeworm.
Double infection was detected in two cases , one was infected with both Entamoeba histolytica /E.dispar and Giardia lamblia and the other one was infected with Giardia lamblia and Hymenolepis nana at the same time. No triple infection was reported during this study.
CONCLUSION:
Intestinal parasitosis represent a remarkable cause of gastrointestinal diseases, this study demonstrates that these infections are common in the
area under study