Tariq Mahmud Tariq.
Prevalence of giardiasis in Afghan population.
Pak Paed J Jan ;37(3):180-4.

Introduction: Giardia lamblia, the causative agent for giardiasis, is ubiquitous throughout the world. It is one of the first enteric pathogens to infect children in the developing world. Objective: To determine the prevalence of G. lamblia infestation in Afghan population. Study Design: Observational study. Place and Duration of Study: Clinical Laboratory of French Medical Institute for Children (FMIC) Kabul, from January 2008 to June 2012. Methods: An analysis of data was done on the results of 20,040 stool specimens which were submitted to the Department of Clinical Laboratory of FMIC Kabul during the study period. Each patient was provided a disposable screw-capped plastic container for collection of fresh stool sample and the same was submitted without delay to the microbiology laboratory for macroscopic and microscopic examination. Results: Out of 20,040 stool samples, 1,804 were positive for either cysts or trophozoite or both forms of G. lamblia, showing an overall 9.0% prevalence of giardiasis. The rate of infestation in the age group of up to 10 years was the highest i.e., 834/1704 (48.94%). Conclusion: A significant proportion of Afghan population is infestated with G. lamblia. Majority of cases belongs to children up to 10 years of age.

USER COMMENTS

An excellent study on the topic
Posted by: drtmtariq on Dec 2013

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