The Distribution of Pathogenic Intestinal Parasites in Sivas Cumhuriyet University Faculty of Medicine Research and Application Hospital between 2006-2018.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to determine the distribution of intestinal parasites in patients admitted to our hospital with gastrointestinal complaints in our city harboring sociocultural and economic changes, and to show the relationship between these parasites and variables such as age, sex and year.

METHODS

The distribution of intestinal parasites in patients who suffered from gastrointestinal symptoms and were referred to our microbiology/parasitology laboratory from various clinics of the Sivas Cumhuriyet University Training and Research Hospital between January 2006 and December 2018 was determined. After macroscopic examination, 19,760 stool specimens were examined with Nativ-lugol, if necessary, flotation, sedimentation, trichrome and modified acid-fast, Certest Combo Card test Crypto + Giardia + Entamoeba (CerTest Biotec S.L., SPAIN) methods and 5,814 cellophane tape samples were examined with direct microscopy and the results were evaluated retrospectively.

RESULTS

Three protozoa and six helminth species were identified in the samples studied. The most frequent parasite was found to be Giardia intestinalis (6.9% n=1.363) from protozoa and Enterobius vermicularis (10.8% n=627) from helminths. Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (1.5% n=289), Cryptosporidium parvum (0.3% n=53), Ascaris lumbricoides (0.2% n=41), Trichuris trichiura (0.1% n=23), Hymenolepis nana (0.1% n=21), Taenia saginata (2.1% n=299) and Dicrocoelium dendriticum (0.01% n=1) were among other intestinal parasites.

CONCLUSION

Between 2006-2018, while decreases in soil-borne parasitoses were observed, there was no statistically significant decrease in annual positive case rates. Despite the development of the infrastructure, parasitoses transmitted by lack of sanitation/cleaning, are still important in our province.