Parasitic screening of a refugee population in Illinois

In a one year period in Illinois, 4,695 stool specimens from refugees for parasitologic screening and 733 diarrheal specimens from non-refugees were tested by routine ova and parasite examination- concentration and permanent stained smear. Patients infected with pathogens were as follows: African group (48.9%), Middle Eastern group (56.5%), Southeast Asian group (48.9%), Eastern European group (46.6%), Hispanic group (38.0%) and non-refugee group (20.7%). The study showed differences between the various groups of refugees and the non-refugee group. The need for routine screening of this population was clearly shown.