Prevalence of intestinal parasites in Afghan community on the example of patients treated in Ghazni Provincial Hospital

Background This study concerns parasitological investigations estimating the prevalence of intestinal parasites in the Afghan community based on the example of patients, both children and adults, treated in the Ghazni Provincial Hospital, in the eastern part of the country. Materials and methods In total, 201 admitted patients with internal health problems were examined in the Afghan hospital in March 2012, including 164 children (1-17 years old) and 37 adults aged 18-80. Stool samples were tested in the Department of Epidemiology and Tropical Medicine at the Military Institute of Medicine in Gdynia, Poland using 3 parasitological methods: direct smear, decantation, flotation (light microscopy). Results Intestinal parasitic infections caused mainly by Ascaris lumbricoides, Giardia intestinalis and Hymenolepis nana were confirmed in 81/164 (49.4%) children examined. Among adults, 9/37 (24.3%) patients were infected with intestinal parasites including Ascaris lumbricoides and Giardia intestinalis. Conclusions The Afghan community, living in poor sanitary conditions with limited access to health services, is one of the most infected populations in the world. The parasitological investigation focused on intestinal parasites performed by the Polish health service among the eastern Afghan inhabitants is still one of the few screening studies in this country.