Prevalence of Intestinal Protozoan Parasitic Infection among Attending Patients to King Salman General Hospital in Hail City, Saudi Arabia: A 3-years Retrospective Study

Abstract

Objective: A retrospective study was conducted to determine the prevalence of intestinal protozoans detected during routine stool examinations between 2018 and 2021 in King Salman general hospitals in Hail, Saudi Arabia. Methods: Obtaining data from logbooks and reports was done with the help of laboratory technicians and with the permission of the hospital manager. Results: In this study, 300 patients were examined for parasites. 51 of these patients had five different parasite species infected with them, representing a prevalence of 17.01%. These parasites were Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (7.3%), Giardia lamblia (5.5%), Cryptosporidium spp. (4.4%), and Blastocystis hominis (0.3%). The prevalence rate of protozoan infection among males and females was 17.9% and 15.9%, respectively. In addition, the prevalence of infection among patients was presented based on nationality and age group. Conclusions:  In the Hail region of Saudi Arabia, intestinal protozoan infections are still a public health concern. In order to develop effective prevention and control strategies, it is essential to update the epidemiologic survey frequently using appropriate statistical methods.