Prevalence of Intestinal Parasites Among Food Handlers in Al-Medinah

Abstract

Fecal specimens from 13,216 food handlers (male) adults, representing 21 different nationalities, were analyzed for the presence of intestinal parasites at King Abdul Azeez Hospital, Al-Medinah. Approximately 14% of these individuals harbored potentially pathogenic parasites, the most common organism being Gicirdia lamblia (33%), followed by Entamoeba histolytica (23%), Trichuris trichiura (12.3%), Ascaris lumbricoides (11.8%) and others. The highest incidence of parasitic load was found in Sri Lankans (40.7%). Although G. lamblia and E. histolytica were found in almost all the nationalities, preponderance of metazoan parasites with complicated life cycles occurred in individuals from tropical countries where optimal conditions of temperature and humidity are favorable for the survival and development of these organisms. SI Ali, Khursheed Jamal, S.M. Hussain Qadri, Prevalence of Intestinal Parasites Among Food Handlers in AlMedinah. 1992; 12(1): 63-66 Intestinal parasites are estimated to infect more than one fourth of the world's population, the infestations being especially frequent in developing countries due to overcrowding, poor nutritional status, and lack of running water and sanitation facilities [1][2][3][4]. Prevalence of different parasites varies from one geographic area to another, the ones with simple life cycles having a more cosomopolitan distribution than those which have complicated life styles. It is well known that permanent or temporary migration of populations is also an important factor in the spread of parasites. Economic developments in Saudi Arabia over the past few decades have resulted in a mass influx of foreign workers mainly from third world countries. It is not uncommon to find nationals from over fifty countries in average size cities of Saudi Arabia. These people may have varying parasitic loads depending on their country of origin. Several studies in the past have looked at the incidence of parasites in various parts of Saudi Arabia [5-13], but not in Al-Medinah. In this paper we present our findings on the incidence and etiology of parasitic infestations among normal food handlers from different nationalities in Al-Medinah over a period of eighteen months. Material and MethodsAll stool specimens obtained from 13,216 healthy food handlers in Al-Medinah, were analyzed for the presence of intestinal parasites.All stools were received in tight-lid plastic containers and grossly examined for consistency and any presence of blood and mucus. All specimens, watery, soft, and normal were examined microscopically for the presence of trophozoites and cysts within 15 minutes of receipt directly and subsequent staining by iodine [14]. Soft and formed stools were examined using the above methods and following concentration by the ethyl-acetateformalin procedure [15] within one hour. ResultsDuring the 18-month period of this study, stools from 13,216 normal, healthy male food handlers were analyzed for the presence of intestinal parasites. Potential pathogenic intestinal parasites were fo...

Intestinal Parasitic Infection among Food Handlers in the Holy City of Makkah During Hajj Season1428 Hegira (2007G)

“…Helminithic infection represented 46.67% of the total detected parasites. Nematoda infection with hookworms, T. trichiura and A. lumbricoides were the most common, as found in other studies [4,[7][8][9] . E. vermicularis adult female pinworm was isolated from a Bangladeshi food handler; same result was found in a Jeddah study [4] , but scanty eggs for this parasite were detected in stool as pinworms usually lay eggs in perianal region and not while in their habitat in the intestine.…”

“…On the other hand, two Yemeni and one Egyptian food handlers were infected with the dwarf tapeworm, which can easily cause both external and internal autoinfection. In an earlier study, in 1992, it was investigated the prevalence of intestinal parasites among 13216 male food handlers in King Abdulaziz Hospital in Al-Madinah [7] . The investigators found that approximately 14% of these individuals were infected with pathogenic parasites.…”

Prevalence of Intestinal Parasitic Infections in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

“…5 As most of these expatriate working as food handlers, baby sitters and domestic helpers hail from parasitic endemic countries, there are possibilities for them to carry them as asymptomatic carriers and to transmit them. [6][7][8] In contrast to protozoan infections, the prevalence of helminthes infections in our study was significantly low (8%) and it was mainly seen in expatriate population. Similar observations have been made in studies performed in the neighboring countries.…”

Prevalence of Intestinal Parasites among Expatriate Workers in Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates

“…In the western region of Saudi Arabia, Entamoeba histolytica was found in 9.6% of the stool samples examined, followed by Giardia lamblia at 4.5% [17]. A study recently conducted by Ali et al [8] in Medina demonstrated that approximately 14% of 13,216 individuals harbored potentially pathogenic parasites in which the most common parasite was Giardia lamblia (33%) and the highest incidence of parasitic load was found to be among Sri Lankans (40.7%) [18]. In the present study, we obtained a relatively low prevalence rate of intestinal parasites among expatriates working in the UAE when the results were compared with the expatriates' home countries [6][7][8]12].…”