Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Parasites Entamoeba Species in Diarrheic Patients in Baqubah, Iraq

Background Infection with intestinal parasites regard as the most important causative agent for diarrhea. Object Study the infection rate of E. histolytica/dispar/moscovskii in fecal samples of patients with diarrhea, investigate the relationship between Entamoeba species infection and some socio-environmental factors and determine the possible co-infections between Entamoeba spp. and other parasites Methods The populations of this study included 326 patients with different age groups who came to the parasitology laboratory in Baqubah Teaching Hospital and AL-Batool Maternity Teaching Hospital/Diyala province, suffering from gastrointestinal complaints with acute diarrhea. All stool samples were laboratory diagnosed by microscopy. Results The rates of the enteric protozoan detected by microscopy from patients with diarrhea were E. histolytica /dispar/miscoviskii 150 (46.1%), Giardia lamblia 27 (8.28%), Entamoeba coli 10 (3.06%) Balantidium coli 4 (1.22%). The total Entamoeba positive patients, approximately half of the patients were under 6 years old, with male percentage was slightly greater than female (58% versus 42%). The high frequency of Entamoeba was demonstrated in patients from rural areas 81 (54%). According to questioner 61 (40.66%) children's mother who are illiterate or in complete primary school. The data analysis showed that 104 patients were drinking tap water, the infection rate increased (62%) when the hand washing with water only, and most the children who fed on artificial milk were found infected with Entamoeba (12%), and in present study microscopic reveled that there were 10/150 (6.66%) cases of co-infection between Entamoeba spp. and other parasites. Conclusion Higher infection rates of E. histolytica/ moshkovskii /dispar occurs in age group 2-5 years. Besides, the most potential risk factors are type of gender, residence in rural area, incomplete mother education for children, tap water sources, type of washing hands, and artificial milk.