Investigating the prevalence of intestinal parasites with an emphasis on Strongyloides stercoralis infection in hospitalized patients: a regional report from Iran.

Intestinal parasitic infections such as strongyloidosis are more common among individuals with immune deficiency and sometimes accompanied by severe symptoms. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the prevalence of intestinal parasites with focus on strongyloidosis in hospitalized patients. A total number of 566 faecal samples were obtained from different wards and assessed by the use of direct smear, formalin-ether concentration, and agar plate culture procedures in order to find parasitic protozoa and helminthes. The findings revealed that 10.1% (n=57) of the examined samples were positive for intestinal parasites. The highest prevalence rate was related to Entamoeba coli (4.6%, n=26) and the lowest one was related to Strongyloides stercoralis (0.5%, n=3). In addition, Giardia lamblia prevalence rate was 3.2% (n=18) and the prevalence rate of Blastocystis hominis was 1.8% (n=10). The sensitivity of S. stercoralis diagnosis was equal for agar plate culture and formalin-ether concentration methods. This study demonstrated the significance of focus on intestinal parasites in hospitalized patients and highlighted the necessity of improving the insight in health care providers about the occurrence of parasitic infections especially strongyloidiasis in these patients.