Prevalence of intestinal Parasitic Infections Among Patients Attending Al-Salam Medical Laboratory-Al-Abyar City-Libyia

Abstract

IPIs are a predominant health threat throughout the world; however, these infections are most prevalent in the tropics and sub-tropics. The objective of this research was to evaluate the prevalence of IPIs among patients receiving services at Al-Salam Medical Laboratory located in Al-Abyar. A retrospective study assessing records of 410 stool samples collected from a variety of patients during the period from 1/1/2024 until 31/12/2024 was carried out. Each stool specimen was evaluated both macroscopically and microscopically using the direct wet mount procedure with saline and Lugol’s iodine as wetting solution.Of the 410 stool specimens,59(14.39%) contained helminthes ova/cysts. Three different species of parasites were identified: Entamoeba histolytica, Entamoeba coli and Ascaris lumbricoides. Entamoeba histolytica was the most common species overall (40.67%) followed closely by Entamoeba coli (30.50%) and Ascaris lumbricoides (28.81%).Infection rates were higher in females (59.32%) than their male counterparts (40.67%).The highest infection rate overall occurred during the summer season (35.59% of total samples).These results support the need for an increased focus on health promotion activities and enhancements in both water supply and waste disposal systems in order to decrease the incidence of intestinal parasitic infections in this area.