Intestinal Parasitic Infections among Patients Attending a Tertiary Care Rural Hospital – A Retrospective Analysis

In developing countries due to lack of sanitary practices, poor socioeconomic conditions and huge population burden, intestinal parasitic infections continue to be a major public health problem. The present study was done to determine the prevalence of Intestinal parasitic infections (IPI) among patients attending our tertiary care rural hospital. The study was conducted for a duration of 3 years at R L Jalappa Hospital and Research Centre, Kolar. Retrospective data of samples sent for stool microscopy were collected from laboratory records and were analyzed. During the study period, 62 out of 892 patients were screened positive for intestinal parasitic infections. The most common parasite observed was Entamoeba histolytica (5.3%) followed by Hookworm (1.2%), Ascaris lumbricoides (0.4%), Strongyloides stercoralis (0.1%), and Taenia species (0.1%). Findings of our study show that intestinal parasitic infections continue to be a burden, hence regular screening is essential to know the common parasites causing infections. Improved sanitation, safe drinking water practices, and health education are essential for prevention.