Survey of intestinal parasites on Palawan, Philippines.

A biomedical survey for intestinal parasites was conducted in Napsan on the island of Palawan, Philippines in September 1986. A total of 353 stool specimens were obtained from 155 males and 198 females ranging in age from 1 1/2 months to 70 years. Ascaris lumbricoides, 34.8%, hookworm 34.8% and Trichuris trichiura 25.2% were the most common helminths encountered, while Entamoeba coli 27.7% and Endolinax nana 22.2% were the common protozoans. This study demonstrated a 7-13% higher overall prevalence of intestinal parasites among the population on Palawan compared to previous studies in the rural Philippines.