Hospital Practices and Research

Prevalence of Parasitic Infections among Patients in Teaching Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Hossein Torkashvand 1
Faride Khanabadi 2
Shirzad Gholami 3
Zohreh Rahimi 4
Taher Elmi 2

1 Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran

2 Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran

3 Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran

4 Department of Laboratory Sciences, Babol Branch, Islamic Azad University, Babol, Iran

https://doi.org/10.30491/hpr.2024.475640.1446
Abstract
Background: Parasitic infections are most prevalent in developing nations and among individuals with weakened immune systems or immunocompromised.
Objectives: Due to the lack of epidemiologic information on such infections, the prevalence of enteric, respiratory, and urogenital parasites was investigated among patients in teaching hospitals in Alborz province, Iran.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1248 samples were collected from January to July 2023. Microscopic examination was performed using direct wet mount, formalin-ether concentration techniques, and trichrome staining. To detect Enterobius vermicularis parasite, we have used the Scotch test method.
Results: The prevalence of parasitic infections was 7.1%. The most commonly identified parasitic infections in the study were Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (29 cases, 2.3%), and Blastocystis sp. (26 cases, 2.1%). 40.2% of our studied cases showed gastrointestinal symptoms and the majority of symptoms were relating to anorexia and abdominal pain.
Conclusion: Given the significant global prevalence of parasitic infections, it is crucial to identify and treat infected individuals, implement urban water improvement programs, avoid the use of human feces as fertilizer in agriculture, and maintain public, and personal hygiene.

Keywords

Parasitic Diseases
Hospitals
Cross-Sectional
Worldwide
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Hospital Practices and Research
Volume 8, Issue 4 - Serial Number 32
Autumn 2023
Pages 349-354

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