Intestinal Parasitic Infection Among Children in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Intestinal parasitic infections are endemic worldwide and have been described as constituting the greatest single worldwide cause of illness and disease. This study determines extend of intestinal parasitic infection in Tabuk children, for effective treatment and prevention of spread in the environment. Eight hundred and twelve children 2-12 years of age were enrolled in a cross-sectional survey after parental informed consent, in the period between March 2009 and November 2009 in Tabuk, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study involved examination of fecal samples from children. A simple random sample of stool was collected. The samples were examined by direct wet films, concentration techniques and staining methods e.g. modified Ziehl Neelsen staining method. In this study we detected six types of parasites. The overall infection rate was 8.4 %, as intestinal parasitic infection is still a problem among children in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia