Ineffectiveness of myrrh-derivative Mirazid against schistosomiasis and fascioliasis in humans

The present study assessed the schistosomicidal and fasciolicidal actions of the myrrh-derivative Mirazid in an area of low schistosomiasis transmission. A total of 27 patients infected with Schistosoma mansoni and 16 with Fasciola spp. received the maximum recommended dose of Mirazid. Pretreatment egg counts in 4 Kato-Katz slides were compared with similar counts in stool samples collected 1 and 2 months after treatment. Standard procedures and quality control measures were followed. The results revealed that Mirazid used as schistosomicidal or fasciolicidal agent in the maximum recommended dose has a low cure rate and produced a negligible reduction in egg counts. Prescribing such an ineffective drug in Egypt might endanger the achievements of the schistosomiasis control strategy

Use of a non-mercury containing fixative for diagnosis of giardiasis

In the present study, methanol was used instead of Schaudinn's fluid for preparation of permanently stained faecal smears. The efficacy of this method to detect Giardia lamblia trophozoites and cysts were compared to merthiolate iodine formalin [MIF] direct smear method and MIF concentration [MIFC] technique. Fresh faecal samples were collected from school students with gastrointestinal symptoms. In 50 Giardia positive faecal samples, trophozoites were detected alone in 9 samples and in association with cysts in 24 ones. A paired comparison of the frequency of detection of trophozoites and cysts by various methods was performed using McNemar statistical test. The results revealed that trichrome staining of methanol fixed smears was the most sensitive technique for trophozoite detection followed by MIF direct smear method [p<0.05]. For cysts, trichrome staining and MIFC had nearly equal sensitivity and were more sensitive than MIF direct smear method but with no statistically significant difference

Impact of coinfection with Schistosma mansoni on Helicobacter pylori induced disease

The impact of concomitant S. mansoni infection on H. pylori induced gastritis was studied in twenty patients infected exclusively with H. pylori. The patients were compared with twenty patients coinfected with the bacteria and S. mansoni and twelve patients with schistosomiasis alone. All patients were subjected to clinical, parasitological, endoscopic and histopathological studies. In addition, serum malondialdehyde level [MDA], as an indicator of lipid peroxidation was measured. The results of revealed that severe gastritis was significantly more common in the patients infected exclusively with H. pylori. Serum MDA was significantly higher in this group compared to the other groups. The results were discussed

Intestinal parasitosis in nalout popularity, Western Libya

This paper studied gastrointestinal parasitosis in Nalout popularity. A hospital based study was done on a total of 800 stool samples from a private laboratory in Tigi city. The results showed an overall rate of 29.6%. Of these patients, 7.59% had double or triple parasitic infections. Children were more infected than adults. The parasites in a descending order were Entamoeba histolytica [2 1%], Enterobius vermicularis [7.5%], Giardia lamblia [2.5%], Balantidium coli [0.38%], and Hymenolepis nana [0.38%] A Sudanese immigrant employee had Strongyloides stercoralis larva in stool culture

Human urinary parasites in Nalout popularity, Libya

A total of 2000 fresh urine samples were collected from a central private laboratory in Tigi Conference which served all the popularity. The examination showed motile Trichomonas vaginalis in seven patients [0.35%]; five females and two males, and Enterobius ver-micularis in two female children [0.1%]. None had urinary schistosomiasis. The data were discussed