Department of Medical Laboratory Techniques, Nasiriyah Technical Institute, Southern Technical University, Nasiriyah, Iraq.
Thi-Qar Education Directorate, Nasiriyah, Iraq.
Epidemiol Health. 2021;43:e2021034. doi: 10.4178/epih.e2021034. Epub 2021 May 6.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the present status of amoebiasis in Thi-Qar Province in southern Iraq, and to determine the presence of Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba dispar with nested and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
Epidemiological data were obtained from the public health department of the Thi-Qar Health Office (2015-2020). Eighty stool samples were also randomly collected from patients ≤12 year of age with diarrhea at 2 hospitals between the beginning of February 2020 and the end of October 2020. These samples were selected after microscopy to identify the 18S rRNA gene in Entamoeba DNA.
Of the 341,554 cases of intestinal parasitic infections, 38,004 (11.1%) individuals were recorded as having amoebiasis, which accounted for the highest proportion of infections in 2015 (26.1%) and the lowest in 2020 (8.1%). Amoebiasis was distributed among all age groups, with the age group of 5-14 years accounting for the highest proportion (27.3%). In molecular testing, 42 (52.5%) out of 80 samples were positive for the 18S rRNA gene (888 bp). Using nested PCR, E. histolytica (439 bp) was detected in 25 (31.3%) samples and E. dispar (174 bp) in 14 (17.5%), while using real-time PCR, E. histolytica and E. dispar were detected in 28 (35.0%) and 15 (18.8%) samples, respectively.
Epidemiological data confirmed that amoebiasis is endemic in this province, and is not limited to certain months. Our study confirms the applicability of molecular identification to detect pathogenic and non-pathogenic Entamoeba to prescribe the appropriate drug.
本研究旨在评估伊拉克南部济加尔省的阿米巴病现状，并采用巢式和实时聚合酶链反应（PCR）检测溶组织内阿米巴和迪斯帕内阿米巴的存在。
从济加尔卫生办公室公共卫生部门获取 2015 年至 2020 年的流行病学数据。还从 2020 年 2 月初至 10 月底 2 家医院就诊的≤12 岁腹泻患者中随机采集 80 份粪便样本。这些样本经过显微镜检查后，选择用 Entamoeba DNA 中 18S rRNA 基因进行鉴定。
在 341554 例肠道寄生虫感染病例中，记录有 38004（11.1%）例为阿米巴病，其在 2015 年的感染比例最高（26.1%），2020 年最低（8.1%）。阿米巴病分布在所有年龄组，5-14 岁年龄组占比最高（27.3%）。在分子检测中，80 个样本中有 42 个（52.5%）18S rRNA 基因阳性（888 bp）。使用巢式 PCR 检测到 25 个样本（31.3%）中存在溶组织内阿米巴（439 bp），14 个样本（17.5%）中存在迪斯帕内阿米巴（174 bp），而使用实时 PCR 检测到 28 个样本（35.0%）和 15 个样本（18.8%）中存在溶组织内阿米巴和迪斯帕内阿米巴。
流行病学数据证实，该省阿米巴病流行，且不限于特定月份。本研究证实了分子鉴定法可用于检测致病性和非致病性内阿米巴，以开具合适的药物。
