Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection in patients attending National Referral Hospital, Thimphu, from 2013 to 2015: A retrospective study

Abstract

Introduction: Infection with intestinal parasites continues to be a significant public health problem worldwide. There is no information on the prevalence of these intestinal parasites in patients visiting the National Referral Hospital, Thimphu, Bhutan. Methods: The study utilized information of stool data from 2013 to 2015 and was analyzed using SPSS 16.0. Wet and Iodine mount technique were used for identification. Results: The overall intestinal prevalence rate was 2.1%. Out of 5919 stool samples, Giardia lamblia has the highest rate of 0.93%, followed by Entamoeba coli 0.15%, Trichomonahomonis 0.19% and Taeniaspp. 0.17%.Giardia lamblia infection was 1.03% in males and 0.85% in females. The overall prevalence rate of parasitic infections was highest in >56 years age group with 2.83% in females and 2.0% in males. Conclusion: The overall prevalence of intestinal parasites is a concern in the country. Furthermore, this study provides insights to develop effective public health intervention for reducing parasitic infections in the country.