Rate and characterization of parasitic infestation in a stool specimens in children with diarrhea by using polymerase chain reaction technique

Abstract

Diarrheal disorders are a major health problem in pediatrics worldwide. Accounting for more than 750,000 deaths in children under the age of 5 per year, they are the second leading cause of death in this population according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Giardia duodenalis (G. duodenalis), Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum) and Entamoeba histolytica (E. histolytica) are the most common protozoan parasites that cause acute diarrhoeal illnesses in children. For many decades, the laboratory diagnosis of intestinal amebiasis has been based upon the microscopic examination of stool samples. So the aim of the present study was to compare the sensitivity of light microscopic method with the PCR method to identify parasitic pathogens among children with persistent diarrhea. 90 stool samples were collected from children that infected by diarrhea from Wasit hospitals and were analyzed by routine light microscopic method and PCR techniques. In conclusion, parasitic cause of persistent diarrhea is underestimated when diagnosed solely by microscopic techniques and that mixed infection are going to be missed and the use of PCR is helpful in avoiding these problems.

Key words: Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium parvum, Entamoeba histolytica, PCR, diarrhea