EVALUATION OF MULTIPLEX REAL-TIME PCR IN DETECTION OF ENTERIC PATHOGENIC PROTOZOA AMONG DIARRHEIC CHILDREN

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Parasitology, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Egypt

2 Department of Clinical Pathology, Medical Military Academy, Cairo,11291, Egypt

3 Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University of Amran, Yemen

Abstract

Gastrointestinal protozoa are one of the global health problems, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean
Countries. Urgent parasitological diagnosis is indicated to start proper treatment.
The present study evaluated multiplex real-time (RT) PCR and microscopic examination for detection
of some pathogenic protozoa mainly Cryptosporidium parvum, Entamoeba histolytica/
dispar and Giardia lamblia among diarrheic school aged children. The morning stool samples of
100 diarrheic children were examined by stained microscopy smears and multiplex RT-PCR for
gastrointestinal intestinal protozoa.
The results showed that among the positive children 67/100 by microscopy the detected protozoa
were G. lamblia followed by Blastocystis hominis, E. histolytica/dispar, C. parvum and lastly
Cyclospora spp. Using multiplex RT-PCR G. lamblia and C. parvum were detected in 40 and 2
stool samples respectively. Twelve samples of E. histolytica/dispar detected by microscopy were
negative by multiplex real time PCR probably due to the non-pathogenic E. dispar

Keywords

Journal of the Egyptian Society of Parasitology
Volume 52, Issue 3
December 2022
Pages 519-526

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