Intestinal Parasitic Infections in People Referring to the Central Laboratory of Meshkin Shahr County, Ardabil Province, Iran



Asadi P¹ ; Zarei Z¹ ; Mohebali M¹ ; Alizadeh Z¹ ; Najafi F¹ ; Izadi S¹ ; Heidari Z^{2, 3}
Source: Iranian Journal of Parasitology Published:2024

Abstract

Background: Intestinal parasitic infections are still a considerable global public health problem. We aimed to determine the frequency of intestinal parasitic infections among people referring to the central laboratory of Meshkin Shahr City, Ardabil Province, Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional survey, 460 fecal samples were collected ran-domly from persons referred to the central laboratory of Meshkin Shahr City, from January to June 2022. The samples were examined by direct wet-mount, Trichrome and modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining, formalin ethyl ace-tate sedimentation, and agar plate culture. Results: The frequency of intestinal parasites was 15.7% (72 out of 460 cas-es), with some people with numerous intestinal parasites. The frequency of protozoan infections (13.9%) was higher than the helminthic infections (2.6%). Blastocystis spp. (8.1%) was the most prevalent detected intestinal protozoan. Entamoeba coli (5.7%), Dicrocoelium dendriticum (2.2%), Giardia lamblia (1.5%), Fasciola spp. (0.2%), and Hymenolepis nana (0.2%) were other detected parasites. Conclusion: In-spite of betterment of the health condition in Iran and reduction of parasitic infection, intestinal parasitic infections are still a considerable public health issue in some parts of Iran. © 2024 Asadi et al. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.