Intestinal Parasitic Infection Detected by Stool Examination in Foreign Laborers in Kaohsiung

Abstract

Most foreign laborers in Taiwan come from Southeast Asia, where public health is not as well funded as in Taiwan, and parasitic infections are still common. Therefore, we recruited foreign laborers to undergo examination for parasitic infection to determine the infection conditions and follow-up conditions in foreign laborers whose stools were found to be abnormal. A total of 7,360 foreign laborers were enrolled for stool examination in our hospital, and the merthiolate iodine formaldehyde method was used to diagnose intestinal parasite infection. In total, 331 (4.5%) foreign laborers were found to be infected, and Blastocystis hominis was identified as the most prevalent intestinal parasite (2.54%), followed by Trichuris trichiura (0.54%) and hookworm (0.53%). Parasite infection rates among laborers of different nationalities were also significantly different (p < 0.001). Forty-two intestinal-parasite-infected foreign laborers received anti-parasitic therapy in our hospital, and treatment was successful. Among the 154 intestinal-parasite-infected foreign laborers who did not receive treatment in our hospital but were later re-examined, 132 were parasite-free. B. hominis has been the most prevalent intestinal parasite infecting foreign laborers in Taiwan ever since it was added to the list of infections to be screened for stool examination by the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control in 2002. It is important to closely monitor, control and treat parasite-infected foreign laborers to minimize the danger to public health.

Prevalence and associated risk factors of gastrointestinal helminth infection among primary schoolchildren in Dembi district, southwest Ethiopia

“…in Hintallo-Wejerat (Ethiopia) and 36.5% Kathmandu valley (Nepal) reports were found to be almost in agreement with the current study (Table 4). However, the current study result has been found much higher (4.5 22.8%) than a report from Gondar [5] and Ambo [12] towns in Ethiopia and elsewhere in the world including Taiwan [23], Kenya [17], China [24] and Marshall Islands [25] (Table 4). Still, the present study prevalence was identified lower than study result from Tilili town (44.2%), Wolaita zone (72.2%), Azezo town (72.9%) and Chencha town (81.0%) in Ethiopia (Table 4).…”

“…In school children, four intestinal parasitic worms (Table 4) were also reported in Nairobi city (Kenya), Western city (Turkey), Tilili town (Ethiopia) and Yunnan (southwest China). Studies conducted in Saud Arabia [20] and Taiwan [23] were also reported 20 and 13 intestinal parasitic worm species using hospital patient, respectively which was higher than maximum number of parasitic species reported in school children (nine) in Gondar town (north Ethiopia) [5] and Majuro city (Marshall Islands) [25].…”

Intestinal Parasitic Infections in Foreigners Detected by Stool Examination in Taiwan

“…In our previous study, the infection rates of Indonesian, Thai, Filipino, and Vietnamese laborers were found to be 5.9%, 2.0%, 3.5%, and 6.6%, respectively [6]. However, in this study, the proportions of Indonesian, Thai, Filipino, and Vietnamese foreigners infected were found to be much lower than those previously reported, at 0.2% (6/2875), 0%, 0.07% (2/2875) , and 3.4% (99/2875).…”

“…In studies of foreign laborers conducted prior to 2002 in Taiwan, O. viverrinii was identified as the most prevalent parasitic infection in foreign laborers [10,22,23]; however, Blastocystis hominis became the most common intestinal parasite identified in foreigners by health examination in Taiwan after identification of this parasite by stool examination was added to the CDC list of infections to be screened for in foreign laborers in 2002 [5,9,11,13]. In our previous study, 4.5% of foreign laborers were found to be infected with intestinal parasites, and Blastocystis hominis was identified as the most prevalent, followed by Trichuris trichiura and hookworm [6]. In this study, hookworm, Trichuris trichiura and Blastocystis hominis were again identified as the dominant parasites.…”

“…Several previous studies of intestinal parasite infections in immigrants to Taiwan have been performed [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]. However, the subjects of most of these studies have been foreign laborers, and very little research has focused on those entering Taiwan for the purpose of marriage or study, or as relatives or dependants of Taiwanese citizens.…”