Intestinal Parasites in Diarrheal Patients in Bandar Abbas, Southern Iran

Background: Diarrheal diseases are the major causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries and the second most common cause of death in children under five years. The main objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites in diarrheal patients in Bandar Abbas, Southern Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections and associated factors among patients with diarrhea in the major hospitals of Bandar Abbas. A single fecal specimen was collected from 170 diarrheic patients from October 2018 to May 2019. The diagnosis was made based on the direct wet mount and formalin-ether concentration method. Trichrome and modified acid-fast staining methods were used for the better detection of protozoa. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: A total of 170 stool specimens were collected from diarrheic patients. Of these, 57.6% were males and 42.4% were females. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasites was 12.9%. The most prevalent parasite was Blastocystis spp. 10 (5.9%), followed by Giardia lamblia 7 (4.1%), Cryptosporidium spp. 3 (1.8%), Entamoeba coli 1 (0.6%), and Hymenolepis nana 1 (0.6%). Conclusion: Overall, the results showed that intestinal parasites, especially helminth infections, have significantly decreased in recent years.