Diseases due to intestinale protozoa diagnosed at Le Dantec University Hospital in Dakar, Senegal, from 2011 to 2015.

Abstract

To identify the protozoa responsible for intestinal parasitosis diagnosed at Le Dantec University Hospital in Dakar, Senegal. The retrospective study included 2578 patients for whom stool samples were analyzed from 2011 to 2015. The sex ratio was 1.1. Patients' mean age was 28.5 years, with a range of 11 days to 91 years. Direct examination and the Ritchie technique were performed to search for parasites. In total, 317 patients had intestinal protozoa, for a prevalence of 12.3%. Infections involved one (91%) or two parasites (9%). The most common species found alone were Entamoeba coli (51.5%), E. histolytica/E. dispar (17%), and Giardia intestinalis (10.5%). The most common associations were E. coli with G.intestinalis (3.6%) and with E.histolytica (2.4%). These infections affected significantly more outpatients than inpatients (65%, p=0.0049) and slightly more women (51.1%, p=0.22) than men. Adults accounted for 67% of the confirmed intestinal protozoa: 39% aged 31-60 years, 28% aged 15-30, and only 7% older than 60 (p=0.5). Most of the protozoa isolated were non-pathogenic. However, health education should be promoted in addition to the mass treatment program already begun to limit and even halt the spread of these neglected diseases.