Parasites, Hosts and Diseases

The Korea Society for Parasitology and Tropical Medicine (대한기생충학·열대의학회)
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Dientamoeba fragilis Infection in Patients with Digestive and Non-Digestive Symptoms: A Case-Control Study

  • Hawash, Yousry A. (Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University) ;
  • Ismail, Khadiga A. (Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University) ;
  • Saber, Taisir (Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University) ;
  • Eed, Emad M. (Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University) ;
  • Khalifa, Amany S. (Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University) ;
  • Alsharif, Khalaf F. (Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University) ;
  • Alghamdi, Saleh A. (Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University)
  • Received : 2020.01.02
  • Accepted : 2020.03.02
  • Published : 2020.04.30
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Abstract

In most developing countries, Dientamoeba fragilis infection is an obscure protozoan infection. We aimed to determine a frequency and clinical importance of D. fragilis infection in Taif, Saudi Arabia. A 1-year case control study included patients with gastrointestinal (cases, n=114) or non-gastrointestinal symptoms (controls, n=90). The fecal samples were examined with the classical parasitological methods for intestinal protozoa, and by real time PCR for D. fragilis. The infection by D. fragilis was detected in 5.8% by PCR and in 4.4% patients by microscopy. The infection was identified more in control group (n=9) than in cases (n=3); a sole infection in 11 patients and mixed with Giardia in 1 patient. The other enteric parasites detected were Blastocystis sp. (8.3%), Giardia sp. (5.3%), Cryptosporidium sp. (2.9%), Entamoeba histolytica (1.4%), Entamoeba coli (0.9%) and Hymenolepis nana (0.4%). Our results tend to reinforce the need to increase awareness of D. fragilis infection in Saudi Arabia.

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