Incidence and pathophysiology of Ascaris lumbricoides infection among hospital patients

Ascaris lumbricoides is a widespread parasitic nematode of humans and animals. A high incidence of the disease appeared in the poor hygienic areas. Adult parasites are inhabited in the gastrointestinal tract of the patients. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence and pathophysiology of Ascariasis among hospital patients. The specimens were collected from the outpatients referred to Al-Betole teaching hospital/Diyala province during the period from January 2020 to January 2021. The study population consisted of 380 patients with ages ranging from<5 to 60 years. Endoscopic examination to detect intestinal injury and to collect stool samples about 5g were collected for Ascaris lumbricoides laboratory diagnosis depends on direct microscopic examination of parasite or ova in the stool sample. 5 ml of a blood sample for measurement of total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, urea and creatinine, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. The results in this study showed the overall incidence of Ascariasis during the year in the male was 218 (57.5%) out of 380 cases, while the female was 162 (42.5%) out of 380, the total highest percentage was 10.8 in August. The highest rate of infection was 5.8 in males and females in October and August respectively. The overall prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides infection diagnosis by endoscopic smear showed that 280 (73.8%) out of 380 patients were positive endoscopic cases, and 184 (48.4%) of 380 positive cases that detected by direct stool examination, and 97 (25.5%) of them detected by culturing, there was signification differences between the examination tests at P≤ 0.01. The clinical symptoms that occurred in patients with Ascaris lumbricoides showed abdominal pain was the major complaint 163 (43.2%) out of 380. The biochemical levels test showed a significantly increased level of total direct bilirubin and total bilirubin as same as in the case of over urea and creatinine tests compared with the control group. In conclusion, there was a significant difference in the total bilirubin levels in the overweight and obese groups compared to the control group, also it is represented no significant differences in urea and creatinine levels among patients when compared to the control group.