Investigation of Intestinal Parasites in Living Nursing Home

Intestinal infections are common in the elderly, presented with atypical symptoms and may be the cause of mortality with a more severe clinical manifestation. The weakening of cellular and humoral immunity by aging affects the intestinal flora and increases the risk of infection in the presence of chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of possible parasitic agents in the intestinal system of ≥65-year-old nursing home residents through fecal examination, and to determine the demographic features (age and gender) of this elderly group.

A total of 82 stool samples were examined (100x, 40x) with saline and iodine preparations, formol-ethyl acetate concentration process, trichrome and modified Erlich Ziehl Neelsen stained preparations.

One or more parasitological agents were detected in 17 (20.7%) of the 82 stool samples examined. The most common agent was Blastocystis spp. (13.4%), followed by Cryptosporidium spp. (2.4%) and Dientamoeba fragilis (2.4%).

In this study, it was determined that attention should be given to elderly population with regard to intestinal parasitic infections. Because of changes in the immune system, more opportunistic factors could be detected. More frequent screening in public areas such as nursing homes is important for preventing infections.