Prevalence and Subtype Identification of Blastocystis sp. in Healthy Individuals in the Tunis Area, Tunisia.

ABSTRACT: Blastocystis sp. is currently the most common eukaryotic parasite found in humans. Despite its potential public health impact, epidemiological data regarding its prevalence and molecular subtype (ST) distribution in Maghreb are rarely reported. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the parasite in a cohort of healthy food handler Tunisian individuals and to acquire the first molecular data regarding the distribution of Blastocystis sp. STs in this country. Therefore, 524 fecal samples were collected, and 68 of them (13%) were identified as positive for the parasite by direct-light microscopy of smears. Seventeen samples of 100 negative by microscopy were also shown to be positive by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Among all the positive sampl

SUBMITTER: Ben Abda I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5239694 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature