High Prevalence of Protozoan Infections: Current Status of Intestinal Parasitic Infections in Sohag Governorate, Egypt

Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) continue to be significant health concern in numerouscommunities. Despite improvements in sanitation, IPIs remain a significant challenge in Egypt. These infections are caused by a wide range of protozoa and helminths through feco-oral transmission. This study aimed to detect the prevalence of different intestinal parasitic infections and compare between the current and previous situations in Sohag governorate, Egypt, with a focus on the rising prevalence of protozoan parasites like Blastocystis spp. In this cross-sectional study, 225 fecal samples were collected from different hospitals in Sohag governorate. All samples were examined by direct mount, Formalin Ethyl acetate Concentration Technique (FECT), modified Kinyoun's acid-fast staining and in vitro culture on modified Jones media enriched with 10% inactivated donkey serum. 60.44% of the participants were infected with at least one intestinal parasite. Blastocystis spp. was the most prevalent parasite (43.1%) followed by Cryptosporidium spp. (19.6%), Entamoeba coli (8.4%), Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (8%), Giardia lamblia (6.2%), Cyclospora cayetanensis (4.4%), Hymenolepis nana (0.8%).