Prevalence of Intestinal Parasites Among Patients Attending A Tertiary Referral Hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia: A 6-year Retrospective Study

Background: Parasitic intestinal infection is a neglected public health problem in developing countries, including Somalia.This study examined the prevalence of parasitic intestinal infections among patients who requested stool examination at University of Health Sciences Türkiye, Mogadishu Somalia Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Training and Research Hospital. Materials and Methods:We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of patients who requested stool examination between January 2015 and December 2020.Stool samples were examined for the presence of parasites by direct wet smear using light microscopy.Results: Seven percent (2738 of 37398) of patients tested for parasitic intestinal infections were positive for at least one species of intestinal parasite.Giardia duodenalis was the most prevalent parasite (3.85%), followed by Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (2.77%).Female patients had more episodes of parasitic intestinal infections than their male counterparts; however, no differences were found (p=0.31) between sex and parasitic infections.Compared with adults, children had significantly higher infection rates (p<0.001).Parasitic intestinal infections were significantly higher during the dry season than during the rainy season (p<0.001).Of the stool samples, double parasitic infections were detected in 2.26%. Conclusions:A low prevalence of parasitic intestinal infections was observed among patients who attended a tertiary referral hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia.Giardia duodenalis was the most common intestinal parasite, followed by Entamoeba histolytica/ dispar, while double parasite infections were also present.The introduction of effective community-based parasite control programs may help combat parasitic intestinal infections in the country.