title: Prevalence of intestinal parasites among school children in northern districts of West Bank-Palestine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prevalence of intestinal parasite infections in northern districts of West Bank, Palestine and to determine associated sociodemographic factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Random sampling of schoolchildren from rural and urban areas was carried out. Participants provided faecal samples and answered a questionnaire about their demographics and hygiene habits. Faecal samples underwent microscopy and PCR to screen for protozoan and helminths.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven hundred and thirty-five samples were collected from children aged 9.5 years on average. The overall prevalence of parasitic infection was 22.2%. The rates of infections with amoeba, Giardia intestinalis, Entrobius vermicularis and Ascaris lumbricoides were 9.7%, 4.1%, 1.6% and 3.8%, respectively. Real-time PCR was performed to differentiate between Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba dispar. Results showed that 14% of samples positive with microscopy for amoeba were positive for E. histolytica. There was no significant association between sex and rates of infections (P-value > 0.05). There were, however, significant association between parasite infections and parents' education, place of residence, washing hands habits (P-value > 0.05). No significant association was found with number of family members or eating in school canteens (P-value > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intestinal parasite infections are endemic in West Bank. Interventions such as health education and sanitation are needed.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Genetics Laboratory, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine. ashussein@najah.edu
authors.forename: Ayman S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Hussein
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D008297:Male; D008877:Middle East / Q000453:epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D015995:Prevalence; D011528:Protozoan Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D017678:Sex Distribution