Parasitosis among apparently healthy immigrant workers at Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

A cross sectional study was conducted on randomly selected 161 apparently healthy immigrant workers in Dammam City, with ages ranged between 21 to 40 years. A required data were taken via a designed questionnaire and stool samples were collected and examined microscopically by direct wet mount (saline and iodine stained smears) and by formalin ether concentration sedimentation technique. The results showed 99/161 (55.3%) suffered parasitosis. These were in a descending order they were E. histolytica (50.5%), Giardia lamblia (38.8%), Enterobius. vermicularis (12.1%), Entamaeba coli (12.1%), Trichuris trichiura (11.1%), Hymenolepis. nana (11.1%), Schisto-soma haematobiumn (10.1%), A.scaris lumbricoides (9.09%), S. mansosoni (7.07%), Dicrocelium dendriticum (5.05%), and Fasciola species (3.03%). On the other hand, 72 (44.7%) of the immigrant workers were Toxoplasma gondii ELISA-IgG positive. The intervention programs including health education, strict supervision of health authorities on immigrant workers as well as environmental sanitation are required.

Anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies among volunteer blood donors in eastern Saudi Arabia.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii in 100 volunteer blood donors at blood bank. Blood donors were interviewed about sociodemographic characteristics and risk factors toxoplasmosis. A required data were taken through a designed questionnaire. Five ml. venous blood samples were withdrawn by disposable sterile syringes to separate sera. Anti-Toxoplasma antibodies were evaluated by using ELISA. The results showed that 40 volunteers (40%) were positive for anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies. The T. gondii positivity and the risk factors analysis in a descending order were manual activities (95%) compared to (15.0%), Contact with farm animals and/or birds (87.5%) compared to (30.0%) , eating processed meat "shawerma" (87.5%) compared to (41.7%) raw milk or milk product (70%) compared to (50.0%), rural residence (62.5%) compared to (33.3%), non-educated (62.5%) compared to (16.7%), and least one was the contact with cats (55.0%) compared to (16.7%). These findings highlight the prevalent T. gondii among blood donors and focused on the risk factors. It was recom-mended that blood donors should be free from Toxoplasma antibodies