Parasitosis among apparently healthy immigrant workers at Dammam, Saudi Arabia

J Egypt Soc Parasitol. 2010 Aug;40(2):311-20.

Abstract

A cross sectional study was conducted on randomly selected 161 apparently healthy immigrant workers in Dammam City, with ages ranged between 21 to 40 years. A required data were taken via a designed questionnaire and stool samples were collected and examined microscopically by direct wet mount (saline and iodine stained smears) and by formalin ether concentration sedimentation technique. The results showed 99/161 (55.3%) suffered parasitosis. These were in a descending order they were E. histolytica (50.5%), Giardia lamblia (38.8%), Enterobius. vermicularis (12.1%), Entamaeba coli (12.1%), Trichuris trichiura (11.1%), Hymenolepis. nana (11.1%), Schisto-soma haematobiumn (10.1%), A.scaris lumbricoides (9.09%), S. mansosoni (7.07%), Dicrocelium dendriticum (5.05%), and Fasciola species (3.03%). On the other hand, 72 (44.7%) of the immigrant workers were Toxoplasma gondii ELISA-IgG positive. The intervention programs including health education, strict supervision of health authorities on immigrant workers as well as environmental sanitation are required.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Emigrants and Immigrants*
  • Gastrointestinal Diseases / epidemiology
  • Gastrointestinal Diseases / parasitology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Parasitic Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Parasitic Diseases / parasitology
  • Parasitic Diseases / urine
  • Saudi Arabia / epidemiology
  • Young Adult