title: Prevalence and seasonal variation of human intestinal parasites in patients attending hospital with abdominal symptoms in northern Jordan.
abstract: This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites and their seasonal variation in northern Jordan. A total of 21 906 stool samples were collected over a period of 4 years (2009- 2013) from 5 government hospitals in 3 cities. Samples were processed and examined microscopically and by concentration methods. Parasitic infection was found in 9611 samples (44%). Giardia lamblia was the most prevalent parasite (41%) followed by Entamoeba histolytica (31%) and Ent. coli (13%); the least prevalent parasites were Ascaris lumbricoides (1%), Hymenolepis nana, Taenia sp., and Chilomastix mesnili (all < 1%). The prevalence of different parasites varied according to season, on average the summer months showed the highest incidence of parasitic infection (62%) compared with the winter months (16%). Giardia lamblia and Ent. histolytica were most prevalent in the summer months.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Al-Bayt University, Mafraq, Jordan.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Jaran
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007597:Jordan / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012621:Seasons; D055815:Young Adult