Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections and Campylobacter spp. among children with gastrointestinal disorders in Tehran, Iran

摘要

Co-infection of intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) andCampylobacterspp. are public health problem in both developing and developed countries. This study was conducted to determine prevalence of IPIs andCampylobacterspp. among children with gastrointestinal disorders in Tehran. In this descriptive cross-sectional survey, 283 fresh stool samples were collected from all individuals and examined by standard parasitological methods including direct slide smear, formalin-ether concentration, trichrome staining, modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining, and chromotrope 2R staining techniques were used for detection of intestinal protozoa and helminths. Furthermore, culture and multiplex-PCR were also used to identify the species ofCampylobacter. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 16. IPIs were detected microscopically in 22.26% of the total study population, with a higher prevalence inGiardia duodenalis(7.06%) andBlastocystis hominis(7.06%).Campylobacterwere detected molecularly in 14.8% (95.2% ofC. jejunivs. 4.8% ofC. coli) of the total study populations; of these, 3.5% had co-existence with IPIs colonized patients. Our results showed a relatively high prevalence of IPIs andCampylobacterin children with diarrhea. Further research is needed to better understand their co-infection and ensure future advances in clinical trials, testing, and development of therapeutic approaches for these pathogens.