Abstract
BackgroundGastrointestinal parasites infections are widespread in Africa and their prevalence infections vary from country to country. This study aimed at assessing the prevalence of opportunistic intestinal parasites infection and other gastrointestinal parasites infection among patients attending the laboratory of Parasitology and Mycology of the University Hospital Souro Sanou of Bobo-Dioulasso.MethodsA hospital cross-sectional based study was conducted from April to August, 2012. Participants were persons whom parasitological examination of stools has been prescribed by a clinician. The stools examination methods included direct wet saline examination, lugol’s iodine staining technique, formol-ether concentration and modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining. We recorded age and sex information for each patient.ResultsThe overall prevalence of intestinal parasite infections was 65.3 % (190/291). Majority of the parasitic infections was waterborne (64.3 %) consisting of high prevalence of Cryptosporidium sp. (26.5 %) and Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (23.4 %). The prevalence of opportunistic parasites was 28.9 % and Cryptosporidium sp. was the most prevalent species followed by Blastocystis sp. (1.0 %), Cyclospora sp. (0.7 %) and Isospora belli (0.7 %). The prevalence of intestinal helminthes was 1.7 %.ConclusionsThe prevalence of intestinal parasitism in general remains high in Bobo-Dioulasso requiring the establishment of adequate diagnostic techniques, treatment and prevention.
Highlights
Gastrointestinal parasites infections are widespread in Africa and their prevalence infections vary from country to country
The prevalence of infection is remarkably high in sub-Saharan Africa, where the largest burden of human immunodeficiency virus/ acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) cases is concentrated [2, 3]
In the previous studies, the prevalence of certain intestinal parasite known as opportunistic is significantly higher among HIV infected individuals with chronic diarrhea and Lymphocyte cluster differentiation 4 (CD4) lymphocytes counts of 200 cells/mm3 [4,5,6,7,8]
Summary
Gastrointestinal parasites infections are widespread in Africa and their prevalence infections vary from country to country. The prevalence of infection is remarkably high in sub-Saharan Africa, where the largest burden of human immunodeficiency virus/ acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) cases is concentrated [2, 3]. HIV infections, tropical and subtropical climate, high population density, poverty, very low in the previous studies, the prevalence of certain intestinal parasite known as opportunistic is significantly higher among HIV infected individuals with chronic diarrhea and CD4 lymphocytes counts of 200 cells/mm3 [4,5,6,7,8]. The incidence and the prevalence of the opportunistic intestinal parasites in HIV/AIDS patients are likely to depend upon the endemicity in the community. Infections by the major human gastrointestinal parasites are widespread in Africa and the prevalence of these infections varies from country to country.
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