INTESTINAL PARASITIC INFECTIONS IN PATIENTS ATTENDING MOI TEACHING AND REFERRAL HOSPITAL ELDORET, KENYA

Abstract

Intestinal parasitic infections are major public health problems in developing countries. The distribution of these infections is mainly associated with poor personal hygiene, environmental sanitations and limited access to clean water. Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIS), in patients attending Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital Eldoret (MTRH), Kenya has not been studied although they present serious public health problem nationally and worldwide. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and distribution of intestinal parasites in patients referred to the laboratory from the outpatient clinics and the wards at MTRH. The demographics and social – economic variables of 185 patients investigated were done between April-December 2015. Direct saline and formal - ether sedimentation techniques were used for detection and identification of the protozoan and helminth parasites in stool samples while air dried fresh stool smears were stained with modified acid fast stain for identification of the coccidian parasites. Preliminary macroscopic assessment of fresh stool specimens was performed for identification of helminthic segments, larvae and/or adult stages. The results revealed an overall prevalence of 86 (46.5%) of intestinal parasites while 99 (53.5%) were negative. The specific parasites prevalence and distributions were Entamoeba histolytica 43 (23.9%), Cryptosporidium parvum 24(13%), Entamoeba coli 12(6.5 %), Giardia lamblia 12 (6.5%), Iadomoeba butschlii 12 (6.5%), Ascaris lumbricoides 3 (1.6 %), Hymenolepis nana 1 (0.5%), Trichuris trichiura 1 (0.5 %), and Hookworm species 1 (0.5%).