Intestinal protozoal and helminthic infections in immunocompromised patients attending RIMS Hospital, Imphal

Abstract

Background: Intestinal parasites continue to be a significant health problem among immunocompromised patients in both developed and developing countries. With the increasing numbers of immunocompromised individuals throughout the world, closer examination and detection of intestinal protozoal and helminthic infections in these individuals is highly needed. Objectives: To find out the prevalence of various intestinal protozoal and helminthic infections in immunocompromised individuals and to compare the pattern of their infection depending on sociodemographic characteristics. Materials and Methods: One hundred seventy stool samples of immunocompromised patients were examined by direct wet mount, formol-ether concentration, Modified Kinyoun's acid-fast stain, and Kato-Katz technique. Data analysis was performed by using SPSS version 17 software. Results: Thirty-two intestinal parasites were detected, of which Ascaris lumbricoides was the most frequently detected parasite (5.90%) and the least frequent was Trichuris trichiura (1.18%). Twenty-one parasites were detected in the immunocompromised patients from rural areas. Conclusion: Immunocompromised patients, especially human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) patients from rural areas, were found to have more intestinal protozoal and helminthic infections compared to urban patients due to low socioeconomic status and poor hygiene conditions.