3 research outputs found
Molecular epidemiology of Entamoeba Histolytica, Entamoeba Dispar and Entamoeba Moshkovskii infections in rural yemen / Mona Abdullah Mohammed Al-Areeqi
Intestinal amoebiasis is highly prevalent in Yemen particularly in rural areas; however
there is a great scarcity of information on the prevalence of species-specific Entamoeba
infections in Yemen and many other countries due to the re-description of pathogenic
Entamoeba histolytica and non-pathogenic E. dispar and E. moshkovskii. Therefore, this
community-based study is the first to provide information on the true prevalence of E.
histolytica, E. dispar and E. moshkovskii infections in rural communities in Yemen. The
study also aimed to examine the association of these Entamoeba infections with some
potential risk factors. A total of 605 stool samples from four provinces namely Sana’a,
Dhamar, Taiz and Hodiedah were randomly collected and examined by wet mount,
formalin-ether sedimentation, trichrome staining and nested multiplex PCR techniques.
Demographic, socioeconomic and environmental information was collected by using a
pre-tested questionnaire. Overall, 324 (53.6%) of the samples were positive for
Entamoeba cysts and/or trophozoites by microscopic examination. The prevalence was
significantly higher among male participants compared to female (P = 0.008). An agedependency distribution was also observed (P< 0.001). Using molecular analysis, it was
found that 20.2%, 15.7% and 18.2% of the samples were positive for E. histolytica, E.
dispar and E. moshkovskii, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed different sets of
species-specific risk factors among these communities. Educational level was identified
as the significant risk factor for E. histolytica; age and gender were the significant risk
factors for E. moshkovskii; and sources of drinking water and consumption of unwashed
vegetables were the significant risk factors for E. dispar. Moreover, living in
coastal/foothill areas and presence of other infected family members were risk factors
for both E. histolytica and E. moshkovskii infections. The present study provides new
insight into the distribution and risk factors of intestinal amoebiasis in Yemen and
reveals that Entamoeba spp. infection is highly prevalent among these communities
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with E. histolytica, E. dispar and E. moshkovskii differentiated for the first time.Hence,
the study emphasizes the need for molecular methods in the diagnosis of infections and
for conducting a large-scaled study throughout Yemen to determine the actual speciesspecific prevalence of Entamoeba spp. Moreover, identifying and treating infected
family members, providing health education pertinent to good personal and food
hygiene practices, and providing clean drinking water should be considered in
developing a strategy to control intestinal parasitic infections in these communities,
particularly in the coastal/foothill areas of the countr