Background: Intestinal parasitic infections are present throughout the world, especially in developing countries; it is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among different high-risk group of population.
Aims: 1.The study is aimed to assess the Prevalence of Protozoan and Helminthic parasitic infections and associated risk factors from different categories of patients among children, adult males and females, antenatal women, immunocompromised individuals, and other patients with co-morbid conditions, attending the outpatient department and in patients in Rajah Muthiah medical college and hospital, Chidambaram. 2. To identify appropriate staining techniques for the identification and preservation of Protozoan and Helminthic cyst and ova.
Materials and Methods: The study was carried out from January 2019-June2020 and the Sample size was calculated based on the N-master sample size software system. All the cases were randomly selected for this study. Stool samples were collected from different categories of patients and the specimens were examined for Direct microscopic examination to detect trophozoites, ova, cysts, larvae and oocysts and the specimens were subjected to Concentration Techniques - Formalin Ether sedimentation concentration Technique, Saturated salt flotation technique and the concentrated material was used for preparing saline wet mount, Iodine wet mount for the detection of parasites and lactophenol cotton blue wet mount, Methylene blue glycerol mount for the detail morphological study of parasites. Modified acid fast staining was performed for the detection of coccidian parasites. Temporary fixation by DPx mount and permanent fixation by Iron-Hematoxylin staining was performed for the preservation of parasites. Data entry was done in MS Excel and statistical analysis was done using IBM SPSS software version 22.
Results: Out of total 510 patients, 136(26.7%) had parasitic infections. Among 136 patients, 115(22.5%) had single parasite, 18(3.6%) had double and 3(0.6%) had triple parasitic infection. Maximum positives were in the age group of 0-10yrs (28%). Parasite most commonly isolated was Ascaris lumbricoides (29.1%), followed by Hookworm (20.4%) and Taenia spp (19.3%) and the most common protozoa isolated was Entamoeba histolytica (5%). Females were mostly affected by parasitic infections (61.8%) and the positive patients were mostly from rural area (59.5%). Concentration technique was used to detect more parasitic isolates compared to direct wet mount. After concentration technique, parasites were detected in saline mount, iodine mount, LPCB mount and Methylene blue glycerol mount.
Conclusion: Intestinal helminthic infections are more prevalent as compared to protozoal infections in this study group and the overall prevalence rate is higher among rural population when compared to urban population, hence health education and awareness program, follow-up after treatment are the necessary interventions should be carried out particularly among the rural population.
