THE PREVALENCE OF INTESTINAL PARASITIC INFECTIONS IN ISFAHAN PROVICNCE, CENTRAL IRAN

Abstract

Previous studies on intestinal parasitic infections in different parts of Isfahan province revealed high infection rates and wide distribution of such infections in the province. To be added is the present report from Dortche-Piaz, a city with 14,000 population, where stool samples of 700 individual (1/20 of the whole population(, selected by random sampling, were collected the and examined by (1) direct saline, (2) direct iodine, (3) saturated salt concentration, and (4) hydrochloric acid – ether sedimentation method. The results indicated that the population of this city are infected with Ascaris lumbricoides, Tricuris trichiura, Trichostrongylus spp., Hymenolepis nana, Iodamoeba butschlii, Giardia intestinalis, Entamoeba histolytica, E. coli and Endolimax nana with prevalence of %79.71, %43.86, %34.86, %5.43, %8.29, %6.43, %0.14, %29 and %11.57 respectively. These figures are comparable with other figures reported from different parts of the province, and prove, once again, that intestinal parasitic infection should still be regarded as a major public health problem of the province.