title: The distribution of the intestinal parasitic diseases in the Southeast Anatolian (GAP=SEAP) region of Turkey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The physical alterations put in place by the Southeastern Anatolia Project will undoubtedly provide a remarkable economical growth and a social development in the area. In addition, the influence that formation of dam ponds, enlargement of irrigation areas, change of product and the way of cultivation, urbanization and industrialization will have an impact on the environment. To minimize the adverse effects of this process on human beings, a Community Health Project was completed by the teams participated by Ege, Dicle, Gaziantep and Harran Universities under the Directorate of Turkish Parasitology Association and by Southeastern Anatolia Project Regional Development Administration between 2001 and 2003.
  
  
  RESULTS
  To identify individuals with parasite, feces samples were taken from a total of 4,470 individuals. Parasites were found in feces of 41.8% of men, 44.3% of women and 32.2% of children, 0-59 months old, who were included in the research and gave feces samples for parasites tests. These prevalence values indicate how widespread parasitic diseases are in the region. The high prevalence of parasitic diseases in this area is one of the causes of malnutrition in 40% of children. Parasites were detected in 44.2% of feces samples taken from rural areas and in 39.5% taken from urban areas. When the distribution of parasites detected in feces samples was studied, the most common parasites were Giardia intestinalis (18.1%), Entamoeba coli (11.8%), Ascaris lumbricoides (4.8%), Trichuris trichiura (4.5%) and Hymenolepis nana (3.9%). Distribution of parasites according to cities varied widely. The most frequently seen parasites were T. trichiura in Gaziantep; G. intestinalis in Batman, Mardin, Diyarbakir, Sirnak and Sanliurfa; and E. coli in Siirt, Kilis and Adiyaman.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first investigation of intestinal parasite prevalence in a large region, specifically, in this GAP region and in Turkey, in general. There is no direct relationship between irrigating the cultivation areas and diffusion of parasitic diseases because the existence of intestinal parasites mentioned above is not related to the range of irrigation of cultivation areas, but is related to factors already discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Ege University Medical Faculty, Bornova/Izmir, Turkey. ak@med.ege.edu.tr
authors.forename: Mucide
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ak
authors.forename: Elif
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Keleş
authors.forename: Ferit
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Karacasu
authors.forename: Bayram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pektaş
authors.forename: Feridun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Akkafa
authors.forename: Servet
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozgür
authors.forename: Saime
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sahinöz
authors.forename: Birgül
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ozçirpici
authors.forename: Ali Ihsan
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Bozkurt
authors.forename: Turgut
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sahinöz
authors.forename: E Günay
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Saka
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ceylan
authors.forename: Ersen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ilçin
authors.forename: Hamit
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Acemioğlu
authors.forename: Yilmaz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Palanci
authors.forename: Kadri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gül
authors.forename: Nezahat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akpinar
authors.forename: Trevor R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Mehmet A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ozcel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002675:Child, Preschool; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D006376:Helminths / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011528:Protozoan Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology