Prevalence and etiology of intestinal parasites in Lebanon

As there are no studies done on the prevalence of intestinal parasites in Lebanon since 1967, this study was undertaken to reveal the current patterns of intestinal parasitic infestations in Lebanese patients from two geographic regions: Beirut and Tripoli. Analysis was based on 33,253 stool specimens examined at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUH) and 11,611 specimens examined at the Islamic Hospital (IH) in Tripoli over five and three years, respectively. The prevalence of intestinal parasites at AUH and IH were 8.47% and 45.35%, respectively (overall 18%). The prevalence in males vs females was almost the same; being 8.23% vs 8.74%, and 44.67% vs 45.88%, at AUH and IH, respectively. Multiple infections were noted in 8.8% and 3.5% of stool specimens at AUH and IH, respectively. Although 18 different types of parasites were encountered, the most common pathogenic parasites found at AUH vs IH were: Giardia lamblia (20.7% vs 10.5% of parasites found), Entamoeba histolytica (19.41% vs 1.25%), Taenia spp. (6.03% vs 4.08%) and Ascaris lumbricoides (2.09% vs 46.97%). The overall yearly or monthly prevalence of parasites recovered from both hospitals did not show clear seasonal patterns. Compared to developed countries, Lebanon still suffers from a high prevalence and a wide spectrum of intestinal parasites.