Prevalence of intestinal parasites among food handlers in Al-Medinah

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Comparative Analysis of Automatic Fecal Analyzer versus Direct Wet Smear Microscopy for Detecting Parasitic Infections in Stool Samples
04:57

Comparative Analysis of Automatic Fecal Analyzer versus Direct Wet Smear Microscopy for Detecting Parasitic Infections in Stool Samples

Published on: April 25, 2025

S I Ali1, K Jamal, S M Qadri

  • 1Department of Pathology, King Abdul Azeez Hospital, Al-Medinah, and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Annals of Saudi Medicine
|January 1, 1992
PubMed

Insights

A study of 13,216 food handlers found 14% carried intestinal parasites like Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba histolytica. Sri Lankans showed the highest parasite load, with tropical country natives more prone to complex parasitic infections.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Parasitology
  • Public Health
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Intestinal parasites pose a significant public health concern, particularly in populations with diverse origins and potential occupational exposures.
  • Food handlers represent a critical group for monitoring parasitic infections due to their role in food preparation and transmission.
  • Understanding the prevalence and distribution of intestinal parasites among different nationalities is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites among food handlers of various nationalities in Al-Medinah.
  • To identify the most common intestinal parasites and analyze their distribution across different ethnic groups.
  • To investigate the association between nationality and the incidence of parasitic infections.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of fecal specimens from 13,216 adult male food handlers representing 21 nationalities.
  • Microscopic examination to detect the presence of intestinal parasites.
  • Statistical analysis to determine prevalence, identify common organisms, and compare incidence rates among nationalities.

Main Results:

  • Approximately 14% of the food handlers were infected with potentially pathogenic intestinal parasites.
  • The most prevalent parasites identified were Giardia lamblia (33%), Entamoeba histolytica (23%), Trichuris trichiura (12.3%), and Ascaris lumbricoides (11.8%).
  • Sri Lankan food handlers exhibited the highest parasite load (40.7%); infections with complex life cycle parasites were more common in individuals from tropical countries.

Conclusions:

  • Intestinal parasitic infections are prevalent among food handlers in Al-Medinah, with significant variations observed across nationalities.
  • Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba histolytica are the most common protozoan parasites, while metazoan parasites are more prevalent in individuals from tropical regions.
  • Public health strategies should consider the diverse origins of food handlers and the specific epidemiological patterns of parasitic infections.

More Related Videos

Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children10:57

Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children

Published on: August 22, 2012

COVID-19 Seroprevalence Test for IgG Antibody Levels Among Healthy Donors Across Different Pandemic Phases in Jeddah04:43

COVID-19 Seroprevalence Test for IgG Antibody Levels Among Healthy Donors Across Different Pandemic Phases in Jeddah

Published on: June 24, 2025

Related Concept Videos

Sources of Food Contamination01:29

Sources of Food Contamination

Contamination of food by microbial agents and natural toxins poses significant risks to public health. These hazards can be introduced at various points across the food supply chain, ranging from environmental sources to processing and storage stages. Understanding these contamination pathways is critical for developing strategies to ensure food safety.Seafood is particularly vulnerable to contamination through both environmental exposure and microbial colonization. Toxins from harmful algal...
Giardiasis01:12

Giardiasis

Giardiasis is a globally prevalent intestinal infection caused by the protozoan parasite Giardia duodenalis (also known as G. lamblia or G. intestinalis). This flagellated protozoan is the most frequently identified intestinal parasite in the United States and worldwide. Transmission primarily occurs via the fecal-oral route, with infection arising from ingestion of water or food contaminated with cysts. Individuals in low-resource settings, international travelers, outdoor enthusiasts, daycare...
Amebiasis01:28

Amebiasis

Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis. Though a significant proportion of infections remain asymptomatic, approximately 50 million individuals annually are estimated to present with clinical disease, resulting in up to 100,000 deaths globally. The disease burden is disproportionately high in regions with lower socioeconomic status, such as parts of India, Africa, Mexico, and Latin America.Etiology and TransmissionThe infective...
Reservoir of Infection01:30

Reservoir of Infection

Infectious diseases arise from intricate interactions between pathogens and their reservoirs. A reservoir of infection refers to the natural habitat where a pathogen lives, grows, and multiplies, serving as a continual source of infection. Reservoirs are broadly classified as either living or nonliving, and each plays a unique role in disease transmission, significantly influencing public health interventions and control strategies.Humans act as reservoirs for a wide array of pathogens,...
Fungal Phylum Microsporidia01:28

Fungal Phylum Microsporidia

Microsporidia are a group of obligate intracellular fungi that were initially classified as protists but were later reclassified based on phylogenetic, molecular, and structural evidence linking them to the Chytridiomycota. These unicellular, non-motile organisms are highly specialized parasites that infect a wide range of animal hosts, including humans. They have evolved extensive genomic and metabolic reductions, making them highly dependent on their hosts for survival.Morphology and Genomic...