Parasitic Infections in COVID-19 Hospitalized Patients in Bandar Abbas City, Iran

Mahmoudi, Seyedeh Athar; Rezaee, Elham; Najafi-Asl, Majid; Shamseddin, Jebreil; Fotouhizadeh, Masoud; Sharifi-Sarasiabi, Khojasteh; Mousavi, Seyed Mahmoud

doi:10.30699/ijmm.18.4.270

year 18, Issue 4 (July - August 2024) Iran J Med Microbiol 2024, 18(4): 270-277 | Back to browse issues page

‎ 10.30699/ijmm.18.4.270

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Mahmoudi S A, Rezaee E, Najafi-Asl M, Shamseddin J, Fotouhizadeh M, Sharifi-Sarasiabi K et al . Parasitic Infections in COVID-19 Hospitalized Patients in Bandar Abbas City, Iran. Iran J Med Microbiol 2024; 18 (4) :270-277
URL: http://ijmm.ir/article-1-2316-en.html

Parasitic Infections in COVID-19 Hospitalized Patients in Bandar Abbas City, Iran

Seyedeh Athar Mahmoudi¹

, Elham Rezaee²

, Majid Najafi-Asl¹

, Jebreil Shamseddin³

, Masoud Fotouhizadeh⁴

, Khojasteh Sharifi-Sarasiabi⁵

, Seyed Mahmoud Mousavi⁶

1- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
2- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
3- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Hormozgan Health Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
4- Department Food Hygiene, College of Veterinary Medicine Branch, Islamic Azad University Kazeroon, Iran
5- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Hormozgan Health Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran , sharifisarasiabi@gmail.com
6- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract: (622 Views)

Background and Aim: COVID-19 has led to a wide range of clinical symptoms, which are increasing in low- and middle-income countries. Parasitic infections are the reasons for the concomitant effect of this disease in these regions, which can reduce or increase the severity of the disease. The present study aimed to determine the clinical features, laboratory findings, and frequency of the intestinal parasites in the COVID-19 patients.
Materials and Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, the clinical features, laboratory findings, and frequency of the intestinal parasites in the stool specimens of 150 COVID-19 patients, confirmed by PCR and hospitalized in Bandar Abbas hospitals during 2020-2021, were evaluated using direct wet methods with Lugol and physiological saline, formalin ethyl-acetate concentration technique (FECT), modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining, and trichrome staining.
Results & Conclusion: Eighteen (12%) out of 150 patients with COVID-19 were infected with intestinal parasites, among whom the highest frequencies belonged to the intestinal Blastocystis spp. (10 %), and then Giardia lamblia (1.3%), and Trichomonas hominis (0.7%), and some cases with no intestinal helminths were observed. According to the findings, patients with COVID-19 and simultaneous parasite infections had substantially greater rates of decreased appetite (P=0.015), stomach ache (P=0.002), and flatulence (P=0.002) than those without parasitic infections. Based on the laboratory findings, no significant relationship was observed between the two groups of parasites and no parasites. More epidemiological and clinical studies are needed to better understand the status of intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) in the hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Bandar Abbas city, Iran.

Keywords: Clinical Features, COVID-19, Intestinal Parasites, Iran, Laboratory Findings

Full-Text [PDF 534 kb] (226 Downloads) | | Full-Text (HTML) (111 Views)

Type of Study: Brief Original Article | Subject: Medical Parasitology
Received: 2024/06/16 | Accepted: 2024/09/3 | ePublished: 2024/09/29

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