Intestinal parasites are prevalent in many countries all over the world. Low socioeconomic standards, poor sanitation, improper hygienic practices, lack of awareness and environmental factors contribute to this phenomenon. Gaza Strip in Palestine is an overpopulated area without any proper sewage disposal system in most of the localities. This, in addition to low standards of living, contribute to the high prevalence of parasitic diseases.1 Two studies on the prevalence of the intestinal parasites revealed that the most common parasites among school children in Gaza and camps were: Ascaris lumbricoides, Entamoeba histolytica, Enterobius vermicularis, Hymenolepis nana and Giardia lamblia.2,3 Higher prevalences of Ascaris lumbricoides, Entamoeba histolytica, and Giardia lamblia among children have been recorded by Al-Wahaidi in different areas of Gaza.1 Deir El-Balah town is located on the Southeastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea and is bordered by Egypt on the South. The town is about 16 kilometers to the south of Gaza city and has a population of about 34,000. 4 The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of infection by some types of intestinal parasites including Ascaris lumbricoides, Entamoeba, histolytica, Giardia lamblia, Strongyloides stercoralis and Hymenolepis nana among 6-11-year-old school children in Deir El-Balah, and to determine the intensity of infection by the detected parasites. Materials and MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 650 stool samples collected from school children aged between 6 and 11 years old from Deir El-Balah town. The study population was divided into three age groups: 6-7, 8-9, and 10-11 years. Only one sample per child was investigated. All stool samples were examined microscopically on the same day of collection. Each sample was examined by direct smear microscopy, formal ether sedimentation technique and zinc sulphate flotation technique. Information such as sex, age, residence and type of sanitation system of the study population were consistently recorded. The intensity of intestinal parasites infection was estimated by microscopic counts of the parasites according to the Cheesebrough classification (1987). Data was statistically analyzed using the Epi-info version 6 program of (WHO/CDC). Simple distribution of the study variables, the cross-tabulation, chisquare test, were used to identify the significance of the relationships. ResultsA total of 650 stool samples were examined for the common intestinal parasites including; Ascaris lumbricoides, Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia, Strongyloides stercoralis and Hymenolepis nana. Of the study population 236 subjects (36.3%) were positive for parasitosis. Table 1 shows the prevalence of the various types of the common parasites encounterd in the study and their prevalence in relation to sex. A significantly higher prevalence of infection was observed among males, 48% as compared to 27.8% in females (P<.05). Most of the positive cases were clustered in the 6-7 years age group (55%), followed by 28.4% i...
This article describes the preparation and characterization of anticancer drug-loaded poly(lactide-coglycolide) (PLGA) microparticles. PLGA microparticles loaded with doxorubicin HCl (DOX) were prepared via o/w emulsion solvent evaporation. The release characteristics, encapsulation efficiency, size, and morphology of the PLGA microparticles were also determined. A cytotoxicity test was performed by using Glioma RG2 cancer cells to investigate the cytotoxicity of DOX-loaded PLGA microparticles. The DOXloaded PLGA microparticles had an average diameter of 500 ± 9 nm. The DOX encapsulation efficiency and drug loading were 22.75% and 0.78%, respectively. DOX-loaded PLGA microparticles displayed a significant cytotoxicity toward the RG2 cells as compared to the unloaded PLGA microparticles.
Canids, particularly dogs, constitute the major source of cystic echinococcosis (CE) infection to humans, with the majority of cases being caused by Echinococcus granulosus (G1 genotype). Canine echinococcosis is an asymptomatic disease caused by adult tapeworms of E. granulosus sensu lato (s.l.). Information on the population structure and genetic variation of adult E. granulosus is limited. Using sequenced data of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) we examined the genetic diversity and population structure of adult tapeworms of E. granulosus (G1 genotype) from canid definitive hosts originating from various geographical regions and compared it to that reported for the larval metacestode stage from sheep and human hosts. Echinococcus granulosus (s.s) was identified from adult tapeworm isolates from Kenya, Libya, Tunisia, Australia, China, Kazakhstan, United Kingdom and Peru, including the first known molecular confirmation from Gaza and the Falkland Islands. Haplotype analysis showed a star-shaped network with a centrally positioned common haplotype previously described for the metacestode stage from sheep and humans, and the neutrality indices indicated population expansion. Low Fst values suggested that populations of adult E. granulosus were not genetically differentiated. Haplotype and nucleotide diversities for E. granulosus isolates from sheep and human origin were twice as high as those reported from canid hosts. This may be related to self-fertilization of E. granulosus and/or to the longevity of the parasite in the respective intermediate and definitive hosts. Improved nuclear single loci are required to investigate the discrepancies in genetic variation seen in this study.
Aims The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the diagnosed gastrointestinal parasites among hospitalized children attending the Al-Nasser Paediatric Hospital. Method This was a cross-sectional study among hospitalized children attending the Al-Nasser Paediatric Hospital. The study included 522 children during the period May 2002 to May 2003. Data collection included two methods: medical laboratory results for the examination of stool specimens and a questionnaire. Wet mount using saline and Lugol's iodine and formal ether sedimentation techniques were employed in the present study.Results Evidence for infection with the gastrointestinal parasites was found in 176 (33.7%) of the children. The intestinal parasites were most prevalent in females (38.8%). The most highly prevalent parasite was found to be Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (26.4%) and the monthly high prevalence of intestinal parasites was in February (54.5%). The prevalence of intestinal parasites increased significantly with increasing age for both Giardia lamblia and E. histolytica/dispar. Conclusions The study showed a high prevalence of E. histolytica/dispar infection among hospitalized children. Hygiene and health measures should be reviewed in the hospital where nosocomial infection cannot be excluded. The diagnostic techniques for stool specimens should be reviewed and improved. Physicians in hospitals and private clinics should be aware of intestinal parasitic diseases when requesting stool specimens and prescribing drugs.
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