ABSTRACT
This work studied the role of parasitic infection among 85 chronic diarrheic patients in Delta region and cross-matched 20 normal controls. They were subjected to thorough history taking and clinical examination and stool examination by direct smear, formol-ether concentration, simple sedimentation, simple floatation and Kato-katz thick smear. Questionnaire sheet was obtained for each case included personal history, complaint, present as well as past history and family history. The results showed that 67.1% of patients suffered from parasites versus 20% in controls. They included giardiasis mixed with hymenolepiasis nana, ameobiasis; ascariaisis, S.mansoni, heterophyiasis, B. hominis, Taenia spp and enterobiasis respectively. Single infection represented 54.2 %, while mixed ones were 12.9% of total chronic diarrhea cases and non-parasitic causes were responsible for 32.9%. Mixed infection was common in A. lumbricoides with E.histolytica [18.18%] and H. nana with G. lambia [27.28%]. The diarrhea duration was longer in mixed infections [3 months], E.histolytica [2 months] and H.nana [1.5 months]. Commonest symptom other than diarrhea was abdominal pain mainly in mixed parasitosis. Parasitic diarrhea was more common in males than females [1.28: 1]. Chronic parasitic diarrhea was most prevalent among low social class [49 or 57.6%] followed by very low social class [20 or 23.5%], middle social class [10 or 11.7%] and finally high social class [6 or 7.1%] with significant increase in low social class as compared to high one, and most prevalent among positive cases in rural area than in urban area