International Journal of Applied Medical and Biological Research

6

Authors: Amal Mohamed, Al-Shebani Mohammed, Abdul Qader Bugarara Ali, Omar Saad Saleh Abrika, Ali Dau Masoud, Abdul Hafeez Khan

This study was conducted at the Central Laboratory of Sebha, Libya with collaboration with Tropical Diseases Hospital and Center for Communicable Diseases of Sebha, which hostels for HIV/AIDS patients in Southern Libya during the period of February 2012 to April 2013. To determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among HIV/AIDS patients in Sebha, Libya.All the stool samples were examined for parasites in fresh mounts, formal-ether concentration technique and modified acid fast stain (Ziehl-Neelsen) technique was used and Chi-square test was used to evaluate apparent differences for significance. In this study, sixty HIV/AIDS serologically positive patients were included to detect intestinal parasites. Forty HIV/AIDS negative (clinically healthy individuals) were used as controls. Direct smear microscopy and formalin-either technique were used for the detection of parasites. Intestinal parasites were detected in 25 HIV/AIDS patients (41.66 %) and in 7 (17.5 %) HIV-negative subjects a difference that was statistically significant (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between males and females patients and two methods used for the detection of parasites. Blastocystis hominis and Cryptosporidium parvum were commonest (18.33 %) and (15 %) respectively. The other parasites detected were Entamoeba histolytica / E.dispar (8.33 %), Giardia lamblia (6.66 %) and Entamoeba coli (5.0 %) in the stools of HIV/AIDS patients. Only one stool sample showed the egg of Ascaris lumbricoides. B. hominis and C. parvum were also commonest (7.5 %) and (5.0 %) among healthy individuals respectively. Diarrhea (36.66 %) was the most common complain among HIV/AIDS patients and protozoans accounted for the majority of diarrhea cases were B.hominis and C.parvum. There was statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) in the prevalence of intestinal parasites among HIV/AIDS patients, who were on regular (75 %) and non-regular (26.32 %) taking Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART) Routine examinations of stool samples for parasites would significantly benefit the HIV/AIDS patients for the treatment of intestinal parasitosis for their overall well being.

6

Authors: Mabroka Mohamed Alahwal , Ibrahim Ali Altayyar, Meraj Bano, Abdulhafeez Khan

The present study was undertaken to investigate the prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. infection among paediatric patients attending Sebha Medical Center for their health problems. A total of 150 faecal specimens from various localities of Sebha region, and 50 stool samples from normal healthy controls were screened for oocysts of Cryptosporidium spp. using Modified Ziehl-Neelsen and Giemsa´s staining techniques. The overall infection rate was 10%. This is the first report of Cryptosporidium spp. infection in Sebha. The intensity of Cryptosporidium spp. was slightly more in Modified Ziehl-Neelsen (10.0%) than Giemsa´s staining techniques (8.6%) and this difference was not statistically significant ( P> 0.05 ) by analysis of variance . In general, boys were more infected with Cryptosporidium spp. (5.3%) than girls (4.7 %), difference between them was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). No, statistically significant difference of prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. was found among different age groups of paediatric patients (P > 0.05). However, infection among both symptomatic (80%) and asymptomatic (20%) children and difference between them was significant (P< 0.05). Source of drinking water was significantly (p< 0.05) associated with the incidence of Cryptosporidiosis among paediatric patients. It is concluded that Cryptosporidium spp. may be an important pathogen associated with gastrointestinal symptoms among children in Sebha region, Libya.