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

Pooria  Asadi; Zabihollah  Zarei; Mehdi  Mohebali; Zahra  Alizadeh; Faezeh  Najafi; Shahrokh  Izadi; Zahra  Heidari

doi:10.18502/ijpa.v19i1.15217

Pooria Asadi Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Zabihollah Zarei Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mehdi Mohebali Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Zahra Alizadeh Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Faezeh Najafi Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Shahrokh Izadi Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Zahra Heidari Zoonoses Research Center (ZRC), Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijpa.v19i1.15217

Keywords: Intestinal parasitic infections; Prevalence; Protozoans; Helminths; Iran

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 randomly 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 acetate sedimentation, and agar plate culture.

Results: The frequency of intestinal parasites was 15.7% (72 out of 460 cases), 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.