An epidemiologic study on Cryptosporidium spp. in Kirkuk city with some trials for in vitro treating the parasite.

Abstract

This study was included the examination of 1836 stool samples from patients who attended the Pediatric General Hospital, Azadi Teaching Hospital, and a number of Primary Health Centers in Kirkuk city. The age of the patients were ranged from < 1 to > 60 years. The samples were collected from January to December 2009. Cryptosporidium incidence rate among human population in Kirkuk city was not high (0.98%). The incidence of the parasite was significantly higher in male with rate of 1.16% among 947 stool samples examined than female with rate of 0.79% among 889 stool samples examined. The most age group which was infected was <1 , 1-9 year and 50-59 year with rate of 1.02, 1.14, 2.38% for each age group, respectively. The infection was more severe in children than in adults. Only one case of double infection with Trichomonas hominis was seen among the positive cases. The seasonal prevalence of the parasite had not showed significant differences between the different months of the year. The parasite was more prevalent among tap water users and among people who had animals at residence. The results of the watery and alcoholic plant extracts in in vitro tests of the chorion stem cell cultures showed that the Curcuma longa had the highest effect with inhibition rate of 42.7, 81.8% for each of watery and alcoholic plant extracts, respectively at 1000mg/kg. Very low effect were recorded for each of Coriandrum sativum and Viscum album. The effect of adding folic acid and potassium chloride alone or together to the watery and alcoholic plant extracts had no synergistic effect, they were decreased the inhibition rate of all extracts and azithromycin. Because there are little studies on Cryptosporidium prevalence in Kirkuk city, despite the huge efforts for treating the parasite there is no curative treatment, we tried to study the parasite epidemiology in this city and find out the in vitro effect of some medicinal plant extracts on the parasite.