Epidemiology and geographical distribution of gastrointestinal parasitic infection in humans in Slovakia

Abstract

Summary Examinations of the set of 2,760 samples of human stools revealed the current epidemiological situation in the occurrence of gastrointestinal parasitoses in Slovakia. Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasitic infection was P = 6.81 % out of which the protozoan infections was P = 2.64 % and helminthiases P = 4.17 %, in the representation of endoparasitic species Entamoeba coli, Giardia intestinalis, Blastocystis hominis, Endolimax nana, Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and Enterobius vermicularis. The species with the highest proportion from the protozoa was Entamoeba coli (P = 0.79 %) and from the helminths Ascaris lumbricoides (P = 3.73 %). The highest prevalence of protozoan infections (P = 3.27 %) was found in the age group 8 – 18 yearly and helminthic infections (P = 5.84 %) in the lowest age group of children at the age of 1 month to 7 years. Almost regularly, there was most frequently infection with Endolimax nana, Giardia intestinalis and Ascaris lumbricoides. By comparison of all age categories, a high statistical significance of differences in the prevalence of helminthiases was found, which most frequently infected children aged from 1 month to 7 years (X2, p≤ 0.0001). The statistical significance of differences in the incidence of protozoan infections (X2, p≤ 0.01) and helminthiases (X2, p≤ 0.0001) was recorded between the compared regions of Slovakia (Western, Central and Eastern Slovakia) with the highest prevalence in the eastern region of Slovakia.