Background: Cryptosporidium parvum, Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica and Cyclospora cayetanensis have been recognized as the causative agents of diarrhea in humans worldwide.
These protozoans are transmitted by the fecal-oral route and most commonly by the consumption of contaminated food and water. Infections are mostly seen in young children and immuno-compromised patients. In this study, we reported results of monitoring parasitic protozoans in patients with diarrhea from 2004 to 2014.
Methods: A total of 184,255 patients were tested through the Enzyme Immuno-Assay (EIA) or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method to detect four species of protozoa. Data were analyzed per year, month, age, and gender distribution.
Results: From 184,255 cases, 2,951 cases (2.41%) were positive. Among these, the rates for C. parvum, G. lamblia, E. histolytica and C. cayetanensis were 44%, 35%, 19% and 2%, respectively. The monthly positive rates were high in May (3.53%) and October (3.66%).
Moreover, the ages of positive cases were high from those over 60 years old and under 10 years old, while the difference in gender was not significant.
Conclusions: High positive rates were shown during spring and autumn and in immuno-compromised ages. The outbreak cases of food-and water-borne diarrhea were only two cases by G. lamblia in 2010 and C. parvum in 2012. However, surveillance of protozoa needs to be continued because the continuous increase of travelers and imported vegetables due to economic growth may increase risks of outbreaks.
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