MOLECULAR DETECTION AND RELATIONSHIP OF BLASTOCYSTIS HOMINIS AND GIARDIA LAMBLIA IN DIARRHEAL PATIENTS AT WASIT PROVINCE, IRAQ

Abstract

Blastocystis hominis and Giardia lamblia are a massive, unicellular intestinal protozoan 
parasite that live all over the world. It is connected to a wide range of clinical diseases and its 
pathogenicity is unknown.. The objective of this investigation was to ascertain the molecular 
prevalence of Giardia lamblia and Blastocystis hominis in a group of patients who exhibited
symptoms and those who did not, and to evaluate the correlation of B. hominis and G. lamblia
using the traits of the patient as potential indicators of Blastocystosis and Giardiasis. Human fecal 
specimens were gathered, and a molecular test was conducted using Nested polymerase chain 
reactions (PCR) targeting B. hominis and G. lamblia DNA was carried out to look for intestinal 
parasites. The prevalence of parasitic illnesses showed promise of Nested-PCR; 85 from 135 (62.9 
%), while negative results was 50(37.1%). Blastocystis hominis was the prevalent parasite 58
(43.0%), followed by co-infection15(11.1%) and G. lamblia 12 (8.8%). 
 Among the patient variables examined, age indicated a high level of infection with two 
parasites. Blastocystis hominis and co-infection (47.9% ) and (12.5%) in age (6-17 ) years old. 
Infection with was more common in females than in males where B. hominis (44.4% ) but in G.
lamblia infection males was higher than females (9.7 % ), even though the numbers for male and 
female were comparable with co-infection (11.1%). The prevalence rate of infection with 
B.hominis and G. lamblia in rural area was higher than urban ( 50.0% ) and (16.7% ) respectively 
.
 According to the current study, diarrhea and stomach discomfort were the most prevalent 
symptoms among all patients with various infection with (46.7%) and (53.6%) respectively . 
According to education levels of parents patients , positivity was found more frequently in level 
of don’t have fathers education when infection with B. hominis (41.9%) and G. lamblia (9.8%) .
According to a university investigation, the prevalence of B. hominis, G. lamblia and co-infections 
was associated with family size at ( P < 0.001). The findings indicated that infections are common 
in families made up of more than 5 person in all parasites (47.7%), (9.9%) and (11.7%)
respectively . Both symptomatic and asymptomatic results in patients at Wasit province have 
shown that Blastocystis hominis is still a common intestinal parasite.