Investigating the Prevalence of the Giardia lamblia Parasite in Children in Salah Al-Din Governorate

Rania Ghasan Abd; Dunia Abed Hussein Al-Tikrity; Khansaa Ahmed Hasan

doi:10.55544/sjmars.3.3.8

Authors

Rania Ghasan Abd Department of Life Science, College Education for Woman, Tikrit University, IRAQ.
Dunia Abed Hussein Al-Tikrity Department of Life Science, College Education for Woman, Tikrit University, IRAQ.
Khansaa Ahmed Hasan Department of Life Science, College Education for Woman, Tikrit University, IRAQ.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55544/sjmars.3.3.8

Keywords:

Giardia lamblia, Giardiasis, trophozoite, cyst

Abstract

The research was conducted from June 2023 until December 2024 to detect the prevalence of infection with the Giardia lamblia parasite among children with diarrhea attending Tikrit Teaching Hospital in Salah al-Din Governorate. The study included collecting 400 stool samples for children whose ages ranged between (1-12) years. Direct wet swab to detect the presence of the parasite. The level of infection with the parasite reached 14.75%. The highest rate of infection was in males at 67.7% and lower in females at a rate of 32.2%. The highest rate of infection was at the age of (1-3) years at a rate of 38.9% and the lowest rate was 11.8% at the age of (9-12) years. The infection rate was 69.4%, high in families with 10 or more members, while in small families (4-5) individuals, the infection rate was 30.5%. The infection rate was highest in children who drank unfiltered river water, at 50.8%, and lowest in children who drank pure water, at 3.3%. The prevalence of this parasite in rural areas was higher than in urban areas, at a rate of 55.9% in all areas of the governorate. It was found that there were varying rates of infection in the different months of the year, reaching 28.8% in the summer, and the lowest infection rate in the winter.

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