Majallah-i Dānishgāh-i ̒Ulūm-i Pizishkī-i Bābul (Jun 2008)
FREQUENCY OF CRYPTOSPORIDIOSIS AND ISOSPORIASIS AND OTHER ENTEROPATHOGENIC PARASITES IN GASTROENTERITIC PATIENTS (BABOL AND BABOLSAR 2005-2006)
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Cryptosporidium and isospora are opportunistic and zoonotic protozoan parasites and they can cause chronic and self-limiting gastroenteritis in immunocompetent individuals and acute gastroenteritis in immunocompromised patients. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of cryptosporidium and isospora and other enteropathogenic parasites in patients with gastroenteritis in Babol and Babolsar, Mazandaran, Iran.METHODS: This descriptive and cross sectional study was performed on 802 stool samples of gastroentritic patients with cluster random sampling in 7 health and treatment centers of Babol and Babolsar from June 2005 to June 2006. Stool samples were collected, fixed and examined by direct method (DM) for detecting pathogen parasites, acid- fast staing (AFS) and auramin phenol flourescence (APF) for detecting two cryptosporidium and isospora parasites.FINDINGS: Prevalence rate of parasitic infections was 3.4%, and the most rates of parasitic infections were G. lamblia 2.7%, E. coli 0.4% and A. lumbricoides 0.12%, respectively. The prevalence rate of cryptosporidiosis and isosporiasis in above samples was 0.12% and 0, respectively.CONCLUSION: Detection of cryptosporidium and isospora is uncommon in routine stool examinations in most laboratories and there is not also request to examine sporozoan parasites in stool. Due to cryptosporidiosis in immunocompromised patients, the need for establishment of diagnostic methods is emphasized.
