Intestinal parasitic infections in adult patients in KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

Objectives. To determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites among adult patients in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa.
Design, Setting and Subjects. Stool samples from adults 18 years of age and above, were obtained from 32 randomly selected public hospital laboratories in all eight former health regions of the province. The stool samples were processed in the laboratory and screened for intestinal parasites using microscopy.
Outcome measures. The prevalence of intestinal parasites in adults by health
region.
Results. Overall prevalence of parasites in 5733 screened stool samples was 20.4%. The prevalence was highest in regions situated along the coast and lowest in the inland regions. The most common helminthic parasites were Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiuria, hookworm species and Schistosoma mansoni. The main protozoan parasites were Entamoeba coli and Endolimax nana including the less common protozoans such as Isospora, Cryptosporidia and other Coccidia species.
Conclusions. This study provides useful information about the occurrence and geographical distribution of different intestinal parasites in the adult population in the province. This is vital for planning future research and parasite control strategies, particularly because in many studies elsewhere intestinal parasites have been shown to be endemic in the same communities as HIV/AIDS, and implicated in the rapid progression of HIV to AIDS.