title: Intestinal parasites, including Cryptosporidium species, in Iraqi patients with sickle-cell anaemia.
abstract: Stool samples were obtained from individuals admitted to three hospitals in Basra during November 1997-May 1998. Of 40 patients with sickle-cell anaemia, 25 (62.5%) had parasitic infections. In the apparently healthy comparison group, 26 of 175 individuals (14.8%) had intestinal parasitic infections, a statistically significant difference. The most common intestinal parasites isolated in the sickle-cell patients were Blastocystis hominis (36%) and Giardia lamblia (28%). The isolation rate of Cryptosporidium species in sickle-cell patients (5%) was not significantly different from that in apparently healthy individuals (1.14%). We report for the first time the isolation of Isospora belli from a sickle-cell patient in Iraq and the Mediterranean region.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Basra, Basra, Iraq.
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Mahdi
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Ali
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications*; D000818:Animals; D016776:Blastocystis Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D016845:Blastocystis hominis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D016829:Giardia lamblia; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D007493:Iraq / Q000453:epidemiology; D021865:Isosporiasis / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution