ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to determine the parasite frequency in children from 0-14 years old who had presented at the parasitology laboratory of the Mustafa Kemal University Medicine School complaining of gastrointestinal and anal pruritus. During the laboratory investigation, 561 fecal specimens and 534 cellophane tapes obtained from the patients were examined. After the microscope examination of 561 feces samples, it was found that 104 of these samples (from 50 boys and 54 girls) contained one or more intestinal parasites. The number and distribution of these parasites in the specimens was as follows: 24 (4.27%) Giardia intestinalis, 9 (1.64%) Entamoeba histolytica, 3 (0.53%) Taenia saginata, 4 (0.71%) Dicrocoelium dendriticum, 51 (9.09%) Blastocystis hominis, 1 (0.17%) Enterobius vermicularis, 1 (0.17%) Entamoeba coli, 1 (0.17%) Entamoeba histolytica + Blastocystis hominis, 5 (0.89%) Giardia intestinalis + Blastocystis hominis, 1 (0.17%) Entamoeba coli + Blastocystis hominis, 1 (0.17%) Giardia intestinalis + Blastocystis hominis + Hymenolepis nana, 1 (0.17%) Blastocystis hominis + Enterobius vermicularis + Entamoeba coli. Out of the 534 cellophane tapes, 85 were found to be positive.

Keywords: Intestinal parasites, children, Hatay, Turkey