Is Gaza Sandy Shoreline Region Contaminated with Human Gastrointestinal Parasites?

The study was implemented to test if the sandy shoreline of Gaza city is contaminated with human gastrointestinal parasites or not and to determine the types of intestinal parasites and the extent of contamination. A total of 104 sand samples (52 dry sand and 52 wet sand) were analyzed during the summer season period. Samples were collected from the study area of about 12km along the seashore region of Gaza City. Dry samples and wet sand samples were analyzed using water-sedimentation technique and a light microscope. The results showed that the percentage of the parasitic contamination was 40.4% of the wet sand samples and 34.6% of the dry sand samples along the shoreline region of the Gaza City. The human gastrointestinal parasites detected were the following: Ascaris lumbricoides, S. stercoralis, E. vermicularis, E. histolytica/dispar, G. lamblia, E. coli and Taenia. spp. The findings showed that there was no statistically significant difference in the concentration of parasitic contamination between the dry and wet sand samples at confidence level of p-value 0.05. It is recommended to conduct a periodical routine sampling of sand at the swash zone because the results of this study showed that the wet and the dry sand may pose a high level of health risk. Residents should be informed clearly by posting signs indicating polluted areas to keep them safe.