Entamoeba Histolytica Infection Among Patients at Wonji-Shoa Sugar Estate Hospital; Ethiopia

ABSTRACT

Background and objective: Infection by Entamoeba histolytica is cosmopolitan but is more prevalent and causes serious public health and socioeconomic problems in developing countries of the tropics and subtropics. The objective of this study was to determine the magnitude of amoebiasis among inpatients and outpatients of Wonji-Shoa Sugar Estate hospital; Ethiopia. Patients and methods: The study subjects were inpatients and outpatients of Wonji-Shoa Sugar Estate Hospital in Ethiopia. The study covered a a follow-up period of almost 17 years; from 1987 to 2003. Faecal specimens from the patients were microscopically examined by the direct smear method. Results: The annual prevalence; which ranged from 12 to 32 showed an increasing trend from year 1987 to 2003. The monthly prevalence of infection among patients (both trophozoites and cysts combined) analyzed for 8 months in 1992 ranged from17 in 1999 to 43 in 2002; with higher rates occurring in the months of December to May and July to September in some years. Analysis by amoebic stages showed that 35 of the patients passed trophozoites in their faeces while only 6 passed cystic stage. Conclusions: In the Wonji-Shoa Sugar Estate which is one of the major agroindustrial sites; amoebiasis tends to increase from year to year perhaps due to deterioration of water supply and sanitation as well as overcrowding