ABSTRACT

The purpose of the present study was to investigate retrospectively the distribution and prevalence of intestinal parasites in patients who presented at the routine parasitology laboratory of the Uludag University Medical Faculty, Bursa, during the 8 years from January 1993-December 2000. A total of 32,346 stool specimens were examined for intestinal parasites using native- Lugol and formol ethyl ether methods. Also, 10,897 cellophane- tape preparations were studied directly. Parasites were found in 8.14% of the samples. Of the patients, 46.32% were females and 53.68%, male. G. intestinalis (3.63%) and Enterobius vermicularis (3.41%) were the most prevalent parasites. The distribution of the parasites according the species was as follows: 115 (0.35%) Entamoeba histolytica and/or dispar, 73 (0.22%) Ascaris lumbricoides, 29 (0.089%) Taenia spp., 7 (%0.021) Dicrocoelium dentriticum, 6 (0.018%) Trichuris trichiura, 4 (0.012%) Hymenolepis nana, and 2 (0.006%) Strongyloides stercoralis. At least one parasite was seen in 96.47% of samples. Two parasites were found in 3.53% of the stool specimens,. The results of our study were similar to the rates of the Marmara Region. Our laboratory findings were found to be lower than previous laboratory findings.