Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Intestinal Parasitic Infection among Patients in Taiz City, Yemen

Aims: To determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of intestinal parasites among patients in Taiz city.

Study Design: A cross-sectional descriptive study.

Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out on patients visiting general and hospitals in Taiz, Yemen during April to September 2014.

Methodology: A total of 330 stool samples were collected from patients and analyzed by direct wet mount and formal ether concentration techniques. Furthermore, sociodemographic data were collected by using a standardized questionnaire.

Results: The overall prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections was 38.2%. The most predominant parasites found was Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (20.6%) followed by Giardia duodenalis (12.7%), respectively. Other parasites detected included Ascaris lumbricoides (3%), Hymenolepis nana (0.9%) and Schistosoma mansoni (0.9%). Multivariate analysis confirmed that drinking untreated water, not washing hands after defecation and contact with animals was a significant risk factor with parasitic infections.

Conclusion: The findings of this study indicated that intestinal parasitic infections are still a public health problem in Yemen. Statistical analysis indicated that low personal hygiene, lack of access to potable water and contact with animals were important predictors for intestinal parasitic infections. Hence, improving the knowledge on local risk factors such as contact with domestic animal, health status and personal hygiene is warranted.