Giardiasis in Saudi Arabia

A laboratory survey for Giardia lamblia (g. intestinalis) was conducted in five regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the months of January through December 1980. Stool samples of 53,306 individuals from the northern, southern, eastern, western and central regions of the Kingdom were examined by wet films and zinc sulphate concentration methods. Five thousand two hundred seventy one (9.9%) stools were positive for G. lamblia. The prevalence of infection was higher in males (64%) than in females (36%). Mostly 5 to 13-year-old children were infected.