Prevalence of intestinal parasites among patients attended azadi teaching hospital in Duhok City-Kurdistan Region Iraq

Abstract EN

Background Intestinal parasitic infections are the most prevalent infections in human among developing countries, and these infections can cause gastro intestinal disorders, abdominal colic, anemia, growth retardation, and other complications such as appendicitis.

Materials and Methods A retrospective study of five years from 2013-2017 were included, the information were obtained from the records of patients that attended Azadi-Teaching Hospital in Duhok City, Kurdistan Region.

The patients were sent to the laboratory department by the physicians for stool examination.

The stool samples were examined by direct wet mount smears with normal saline and lughole's iodine techniques.

Results In the current study out of 3,976 stool samples, 1,196 were positive for one or more of the intestinal parasites of the following intestinal parasites, Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lambilia, Trichomonas hominis, Enterobious vermicularis and Hymenolypis nana.

The highest infection rate was detected in males than females which were, 656(54.8 %), 540(45.2 %), respectively.

The most common parasites detected were E.

histolytica, other parasites are reported at low rates, (28.3 %) G.

lambilia (1.1 %), E.

vermicularis (0.05 %) and H .nana (0.1 %).

Conclusion The current study indicated that the prevalence of intestinal protozoan parasites was more than helminthes, which is considered as an important public health problem in the human population.