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Background: Giardiasis is one of the leading causes of diarrhea, particularly among children under the age of five in developing countries. Fecal calprotectin (FC) is an important biomarker for diagnosis and monitoring of inflammtory bowel disease, but other diagnoses should be considered in light of its elevation. We aimed to evaluate FC level in patients diagnosed with giardiasis and elucidate a possible correlation between Giardia genotypes and FC levels. Methods: Overall, 120 fecal samples were collected from children aged 4-12 years and tested for giardiasis by light microscopy. Out of which, 50 samples were enrolled within two groups: group I “cases” and group II “controls” and then subjected to PCR amplification, sequencing of the beta-giardin (bg) gene of the parasite, and FC evaluation. Results: Assemblage B was identified in 75%, and assemblage A in 25% of samples. FC levels were statistically elevated in “group I” in comparison to “group II”. Likewise, there was a statistically significant difference between FC levels in patients infected with assemblage A and assemblage B with a mean of 114 μg/gm and 202 μg/gm, respectively. Conclusion: The study highlighted the possible association between Giardia genotype B and elevated FC levels, further detailed studies are necessary to clarify these finding.

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Background: Permanent staining of helminths is important for different purposes including taxonomic and prevalence studies as well as teaching. Carmine is one of the most commonly used dyes; however, variable factors affect the quality of the staining outcomes. Therefore, it is essential to find an alternative stain that is efficient, accurate, and less complex. Objective: The aim of the present study is to evaluate the quality of a combined lactophenol methylene blue-blue glycerol jelly (LMB-BGJ) technique as a potential alternative for staining of helminths compared with carmine-based staining and glycerol jelly mounting techniques. Material and Methods: S. mansoni and T. spiralis were obtained from experimentally infected animals. A new staining technique (LMB-BGJ) was used for both parasites in comparison with carmine stain in case of S. mansoni and glycerol jelly mounting in case of T. spiralis. Comparison was conducted using examination under light microscope and a mean score was given for the structural brightness, and extent of staining of tegument/cuticle, suckers, intestine, as well as reproductive systems. Results: S. mansoni worms prepared with both carmine staining and LMB-BGJ showed moderate staining quality of tegument, suckers, intestine and reproductive organs with a mean total score of 3.3/4 and 3.35/4, respectively. Adult T. spiralis mounted with glycerol jelly only showed a mean total score of 3.95/4 for the cuticle, esophagus, and intestine, while the LMB-BGJ showed a staining quality with a mean total score of 3.85/4. Conclusion: From a practical point of view, LMB-BGJ is a simple and rapid technique that needs less experience for the preparation of semi-permanent slides with satisfactory staining and mounting quality for both trematodes and small nematodes.

New infectious agents pose a global threat to the healthcare system, and studies are conducted to estimate their health and epidemiological outcomes in the long run. The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which has caused the COVID-19 disease, was formerly assumed to be a respiratory virus; however, it can have serious systemic effects, affecting organs such as the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Viral RNA was reported in the stool in a subset of patients, indicating another mode of transmission and diagnosis. In COVID-19, prolonged GIT symptoms, especially diarrhea, were associated with reduced diversity and richness of gut microbiota, immunological dysregulation, and delayed viral clearance. Intestinal coccidian parasites are intracellular protozoa that are most typically transmitted to humans by oocysts found in fecally contaminated food and water. Their epidemiological relevance is coupled to opportunistic infections, which cause high morbidity and mortality among immunocompromised individuals. Among immunocompetent people, intestinal coccidia is also involved in acute diarrhea, which is usually self-limiting. Evaluating the available evidence provided an opportunity to carefully consider that; the COVID-19 virus and coccidian protozoan parasites: namely, Cryptosporidium spp., Cyclospora cayetanensis, and Isospora belli, could mutually influence each other from the microbiological, clinical, diagnostic, and elimination aspects. We further systemically highlighted the possible shared pathogenesis mechanisms, transmission routes, clinical manifestations, parasite-driven immune regulation, and intestinal microbiota alteration. Finally, we showed how this might impact developing and developed countries prevention and vaccination strategies. To the best of our knowledge, there is no review that has discussed the reciprocal effect between coccidian parasites and COVID-19 coinfection.