The Distribution of Intestinal Parasites in Patients Presenting to a University Hospital in Istanbul: A Seven-year Retrospective Analysis

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the intestinal parasite distributions in patients who applied to the Parasitology Laboratory of Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, by evaluating the parasites retrospectively. Methods: Normal saline and stool lugol were applied for direct examination of stool samples that were sent for parasite examination; cellophane band samples were evaluated microscopically. The samples suspected to have protozoa were evaluated using modified acid fast and trichrome staining methods. We evaluated the parasitological examination results of patients who applied to our laboratory between January 2012 and December 2018. Results: A total of 2.96% of the 20,948 patients who applied had parasites in their faeces. Blastocystis spp. was detected at the highest rate (63.23%), followed by Giardia intestinalis (17.26%), Enterobius vermicularis (12.58%), Taenia saginata (2.42%), Cryptosporidium spp. (1.94%) and Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (1.45%). Conclusion: Although the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections has decreased when compared to previous years, it still remains important. For this reason, solving infrastructure problems, providing information on personal hygiene and sanitation rules are among the most important tasks needed to reduce the prevalence of intestinal parasites.

Enterobious vermicularis induced infectious keratitis following penetrating keratoplasty.

A 28-year-old man with a prior history of penetrating keratoplasty in the left eye for total corneal melt presented with a 3-day history of a red, painful left eye. On examination, he was found to have graft infiltrates. Microscopic examination of wet mount preparation of corneal scrapings revealed the presence of embryonated eggs of E. vermicularis. Cellophane (scotch) tape preparation from perianal region also revealed embryonated eggs of E. vermicularis as well as live adult worms. Ocular and adnexal involvement by E. vermicularis is extremely rare. Here, we report the first case of infection of a corneal graft with E. vermicularis.

Enterobíase / Enterobiasis

Os autores fazem uma revisão da enterobíase com uma visão clínica, com maior ênfase no diagnóstico e apresentação de novas opções terapêuticas desta parasitose intestinal

Enterobius vermicularis: uma importante causa de vulvovaginites na infância / Enterobius vermicularis: an important cause of vulvaginitis in infancy

A enterobíase é uma parasitose universal, alcançando elevadas taxas de incidência em crianças. Tem como agente etiológico o E. vermicularis (Oxyurus) e decorre de vários fatores, merecendo destaque para as condições sócioeconômicas, grau de escolaridade, nível de saneamento básico e hábitos higiênicos. Os sintomas clínicos mais comuns desta helmintíase são o prurido anal, as lesões perianais e vulvovaginites. A vulvovaginite é um processo inflamatório que acomete a vulva e a vagina, decorrente de diversos processos infecciosos, e expressa-se habitualmente na forma de corrimento vaginal, prurido e disúria. É a doença mais freqüente nos consultórios de ginecologia infantil e o E. vermicularis representa uma das principais etiologias das vulvovaginites na infância associado à inadequada higiene genital. É importante ressaltar que este tipo de doença alcança um melhor controle pela educação em saúde, que deve fazer parte do atendimento médico, visando a continuidade dos efeitos obtidos com os tratamentos farmacológicos.

Pinworm control and risk factors of pinworm infection among primary-school children in Taiwan.

Longitudinal pinworm (Enterobius vermicularis) infection rates were estimated at a mass screening for first-grade children during 1991-1996; children were provided medication at the screening. This campaign was able to decrease the infection rates for the 1991 cohort from 16.3% to 0.6%. A case-control study was further conducted for the investigation of risk factors among fourth-graders. Cases comprised 429 children with at least one infection between September 1996 to June 1999, and controls were 280 randomly selected uninfected classmates. Parents were asked to complete a questionnaire survey to report students' personnel hygiene habits. The case-control study revealed that significant factors associated with the infection included playing on the floor (odds ratio [OR], 2.5), nail biting (OR, 2.1), failure to wash hands before meals (OR, 1.7) and living in nonapartment dwellings (OR, 1.6). Girls were at a higher, but not significant, risk (OR, 1.4), than boys. In conclusion, inadequate personal hygiene increases the risk for pinworm infection. The mass screening-medication campaign can be adapted to countries with a similar parasitic problem.

Enterobiasis en escolares de Ciudad Bolívar, Estado Bolívar, Venezuela / Enterobiasis in schoolchildren from Ciudad Bolívar, Estado Bolívar, Venezuela

Enterobius vermicularis is a nematode with a peculiar biological cycle, thus requiring a special diagnostic technique. In order to determine the prevalence of E. vermicularis infection among schoolchildren in Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela, 282 children aged 5 - 14 years old were evaluated between november 1995 and august 1996 by the Graham technique (three perianal swabs with adhesive cellulose tape). The prevalence of enterobiasis in the studied children was estimated 19,1 percent (54/282). There was no difference between sexes (p>0,05), but there was a difference between ages (x² = 13,8; 1.g.= 4), being the infection more frequent between 5 and 8 years. Symptoms were observed in 90,7 percent of the schoolchildren. Anal pruritus was the most common clinical finding (81,6 percent). Other less frequent manifestations were enuresis (28,6 percent) and vulvitis in girls (26,1 percent). This intestinal parasitosis occurs with high frequency among schoolchildren in Ciudad Bolívar with characteristic and identifiable symptoms in most cases. The Graham method must be used for its diagnosis. This test is not routinely performed in our laboratories unless specifically requested by the attending physician

Oxyuriasis pélvica / Pelvic oxyuriasis

El enterobius vermicularis, es un parásito que comúnmente infesta el lumen intestinal, en raras ocasiones es posible encontrarlo en otras localizaciones. Se presenta caso clínico, en el que se encontraron granulomas por enterobius vermicularis en serosa de trompa uterina, que se habrían instalado allí por fístula rectal secundaria a perforación por un dispositivo intrauterino. Se describen las lesiones histopatológicas, sus implicancias clínicas y revisión de la literatura

[A study of multiple factors related to Enterobius vermicularis infection among pre-school children in Ta-Liao district of Kaohsiung County].

In order to study the factors related to Enterobius vermicularis infection among pre-school children in Ta-Liao District of Kaohsiung County, a questionnaire was designed to interview parents of preschool children selected by random sampling from 7 kindergartens in Ta-Liao District. Enterobius infections in the children were then examined by using two-consecutive-day adhesive cellophane paper perianal swabs. The effective sample numbered 555 children. Variables causing the infection among infected and non-infected children were analyzed by chi-square test and point-biserial correlation. The results indicated that there were significant relationship between infection and the follow items: having snacks; sucking fingers; size of house; ways of cleaning house; place of activities; parent's cognizing that anus is the polluted source of eggs; recognition of the cause-and-effect relationship between eating in the bedroom and being reinfected with Enterobius; recognition of preventing reinfection of Enterobius by taking a shower; and educational background of father. Through logistic regression analysis with backward selection, the authors constructed a predicting model which can predict the infection rate of E. vermicularis among pre-school children according to the habit of having snacks, the habit of sucking fingers, size of house, parent's recognizing that taking a shower can prevent people from reinfection, and the educational background of father.

[The hygienic bases for the prevention of enterobiasis]. / Gigienicheskie osnovy profilaktiki énterobioza.

Evidence is provided for the value and priority of sanitary and hygienic measures and hygienic education of the population in the prevention of enterobiasis. It is emphasized that preventive work can be successful only when the parents, tutors of preschool institutions and teachers of schools are obligatorily attracted to it.

[Comparison of Enterobius vermicularis infection among preschool children in Ta-Liao District of Kaohsiung County with that in Kaohsiung City].

To compare the rate of E. vermicularis infection among preschool children in Ta-Liao District of Kaohsiung County, with that in Kaohsiung City, a total of 532 preschool children from 7 kindergartens in Ta-Liao District, Kaohsiung County and 544 preschool children from Kaohsiung City kindergartens were randomly collected. The preschool children were examined for E. vermicularis infection with a scotch tape perianal swab technique (S.T.P.S.T.). After examination, the preschool childrens' parents were also interviewed. The interview included the following factors: personal data of the preschool children (age, sex and birthplace); the size of the living quarters (measured in "Ping") and the number of rooms in the living quarters; the play area floor material (e.g. carpet, wood, tile, etc.); the total number of family members; the distribution of family members in bedrooms; the frequency of finger-sucking and the frequency of hand-washing before eating meals and after using toilets; the preschool childrens' primary caregiver; the occupations of both parents; and the means and times of bathing. The obtained data were analyzed and E. vermicularis infection among the preschool children in Ta-Liao District and Kaohsiung City were compared using the Mantel-Haenszel statistical program in Statistical Analysis System (S.A.S) software. The present results indicated that the rate of E. vermicularis infection among preschool children was higher in Ta-Liao District than in Kaohsiung City.