Prevalence of Two Gastrointestinal Parasites <i>Entamoeba histolytica</i> and <i>Giardia lamblia</i> within Samarra City, Iraq

Abstract

The prevalence of two gastrointestinal parasites the <i> Entamoeba histolytica</i> and <i>Giardia lamblia</i> parasites and their impact on some blood parameters, <i> i.e</i> . packed cell volume (PCV), hemoglobin (Hb%) and total protein (TP) of a total 780 patients (children and adults) admitted to Samarra General Hospital were assessed. Samples of fresh feces were collected in normal physiological saline and examined using Olympic microscopes. The frequency of the parasite <i>E. histolytica</i> was 12.8% (46.3% male and 53.6% female). The highest frequency of infection of <i> E. histolytica</i> (13.8%) was found at age group (1 - 5 years old) followed by <1 year old children while the lowest (7.4%) was at ages (>41 years old). The highest rate of infection (33.9%) was found in September and the lowest (2.2%) in January. Similarly, the general infection frequency of the parasite <i> G. lamblia</i> was 3.9% with the highest rate at ages 1 - 20 years old and the lowest rate was 7.3% for >50 years old. The monthly, highest rate of infection (5.2%) was in August and least (2.2%) in January (2.2%). The frequency of total protein (TPD) in the blood relevant to the presence of parasite <i>E. histolytica</i> and <i> G. lambli a</i> was 4.6% and 1%, respectively. It is concluded that the above two parasites are the most common gastrointestinal parasite in Iraq whose pathogenesis to be which is likely to escalate during the summer seasons and at low hygienic services environment. There has been an irrelev ance neither to anemia nor total protein deficiency. It is recommended that Ministry of Health in Iraq should not share the global idea of defining the giardiasis as a neglected disease.