A cross-sectional analysis of intestinal parasitic infections among the general population in north of Iran.

Abdol Sattar Pagheh,Abolghasem Syadatpanah,Shahabeddin Sarvi,Siavash Mirshafiee,Shirzad Gholami,Mahdi Sharif,Masoud Soosaraie,Ahmad Daryani,Shabnam Asfaram,Mostafa Tork,Jamshid Yazdani-Charati,Seyed-Abdollah Hosseini,Eisa Nazar

doi:10.3855/jidc.9512

Abstract

Intestinal parasitic infection (IPIs) is one of the most important health problems in the developing countries. Study on the prevalence of IPIs in various communities is a prerequisite for the development of appropriate control strategies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of intestinal parasites among the general population in Mazandaran province, northern Iran. This study was conducted on 4,788 specimens collected from 17 urban areas (2,515 samples) and 34 rural areas (2,273 samples) within January-December 2016. Fecal specimens were examined by direct wet mounting, formalin-ether concentration, modified Ziehl-Neelsen, and trichrome staining methods. The overall infection rate of intestinal parasite was 14.2% (680/ 4,788). Blastocystis hominis and Giardia lamblia were identified as the most frequent parasites. Protozoa, helminths, and polyparasitism (co-infections with two or more parasite species) were observed in 12.3%, 1.03%, and 0.85% of the specimens, respectively. Furthermore, IPIs showed a significant association with household income, place of residence, washing of vegetables, exposure to soil and season (p < 0.05). Based on the findings, parasitic infections are still a major public health concern in the north of Iran that requires special attention. Therefore, the major key to success in the prevention of IPIs is the execution of some interventions, including patient screening and treatment, public education, and improvement of sanitary conditions.

Highlights

Intestinal parasitic infection (IPIs) is one of the most important health problems in the developing countries
Out of the 680 infected samples, 590 (86.8%) and 49 (7.2%) cases were found to be infected with intestinal protozoa and helminths, respectively
Blastocystis hominis (5.2%) was the most predominant protozoan identified in the stool samples of the studied participants, followed by Giardia lamblia (4.6%) and Entamoeba coli (1.4%)

Summary

Introduction

Intestinal parasitic infection (IPIs) is one of the most important health problems in the developing countries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of intestinal parasites among the general population in Mazandaran province, northern Iran. One of the most important health indicators in each society is the prevalence status of parasitic diseases among its population [1, 2]. The World Health Organization has estimated that about 3.5 billion people are affected by intestinal parasites that 450 million of them are ill due to these infections [3]. The prevalence of parasitic infection in a region may be attributed to poor sanitation, low socioeconomic status, lack of clean and safe water, high population density and improper waste disposal. The lack of sufficient research investigating the status of parasitic diseases in some parts of the world or unavailability of follow-up treatments are other barriers to the reduction of parasitic infection rate [7,8]

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Conclusion