Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among applicants for health cards attending Ahvaz East Health Center during 2012–2013

Objective To investigate the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among health card applicants attending Ahvaz East Health Center during 2012–2013. Methods In this descriptive cross-sectional study, stool specimens were collected between 14 614 and 12 444 people referred to Ahvaz East Health Center respectively in 2012 and 2013. Then, stool specimens were examined microscopically for the presence of parasite eggs, cysts and trophozoites using direct and formalin-ether concentration methods. Results Among 14 614 applicants for health cards in 2012, 1 693 cases were diagnosed with parasitic infections: Giardia lamblia 1 445 (85.35%), Entamoeba histolytica/dispar 31 (1.83%), Oxyuris (pin worm) 29 (1.71%), Hymenolepis nana 60 (3.54%), and Entamoeba coli 128 (7.57%). Out of 12 444 applicants for health cards during 2013, 632 cases were diagnosed with parasitic infections: Giardia lamblia 510 (80.69%), Entamoeba histolytica/dispar 20 (3.17%), Oxyuris 19 (3.01%), Hymenolepis nana 46 (7.28%), and Entamoeba coli 33 (5.86%). In both years the most outbreaks have been reported in the spring and autumn, and the lowest outbreak has been reported during the winter. Conclusions The protozoa outbreak, such as Giardia, is more than multi-protozoa whose outbreak may be the result of parasite easy transferred by water and nutrients and the parasite cyst resistance under the worse conditions as well as its simple cell division. The outbreak percentage in 2012 is more than 2013 which may be the result of improving the individual health care level.