Distribution of intestinal parasites in patients presenting at the Erciyes University Medical School Parasitology Laboratory between 2011 and 2013

Abstract

Objective: Mostly fecal-oral transmitted intestinal parasites maintain their importance in terms of public health due to causing severe clinical conditions and may even cause death. Mainly affecting young children, intestinal parasites are a health problem that affects the entire community. Abdominal pain, diarrhea, growth retardation and anemia as well as many other important symptoms can be observed in the clinic presentation of those with intestinal parasites. Lack of sanitation seems to be the most important factor in the spread of intestinal parasites; socioeconomic status of the society, climate, age, gender as well as other factors also predispose to the occurrence of these infections. In this study, the distribution of intestinal parasites of the patients who admitted to Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine Parasitology Laboratory were evaluated. Stool samples from 20.698 patients and anal band samples from 455 patients were examined. Method: Fecal samples were examined by nativelugol, sedimentation, trichrome and modified acid-fast staining methods. Enterobius vermicularis eggs were determined by cellophane tape method. Results: One or more intestinal parasites were found in 3.261 (15.4%) cases and 1.717 (52.65%) of these patients were males and 1.544 (47.34%) of them were female. According to the results, the most common parasites, 2.732 (13.1%) were Blastocystis hominis, 307 (1.48%) were Entamoeba coli and 242 (1.17%) were Giardia intestinalis respectively. Conclusion: The results of our study were observed to be consistent with epidemiological studies, which have been previously made in Kayseri. However, the incidence of intestinal parasites was observed to decrease when compared with the previous epidemiological data. Positive developments in the environmental factors and socioeconomic levels will tend to reduce the incidence of intestinal parasites further. Intestinal parasites still maintain their importance as a major public health problem in our province.