background: the aim of this study was to verify the occurrence of intestinal parasitic infections in human immunodeficiency virus (hiv)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (aids) patients in iran in comparison with non-hiv individuals. methods: a total of hiv+/aids patients (group i) and 1220 clinically healthy individuals (group ii) were submitted to coproparasitological examination from 2003 t...

Blastocystis is one of the most common gut parasites found in the intestinal tract of humans and animals. Its' association with IBS is controversial, possibly as a result of irregular shedding of parasites in stool and variation in stool detection. We aimed to screen for Blastocystis in colonic stool aspirate samples in adult patients with and without IBS undergoing colonoscopy for various indi...

BACKGROUND There are some genetic differences in Blastocystis that show the existence of species or genotypes. One of these genes that help in identifying Blastocystis is SSUrRNA. The aim of this study was assessment of genetic diversity of Blastocystis by PCR with seven pairs of STS primers. METHODS This study was done on 511 stool samples collected from patients referred to the health care ...

Blastocystis cysts were detected in 38% (47/123) (37 Scottish, 17 Malaysian) of sewage treatment works. Fifty percent of influents (29% Scottish, 76% Malaysian) and 28% of effluents (9% Scottish, 60% Malaysian) contained viable cysts. Viable cysts, discharged in effluent, provide further evidence for the potential for waterborne transmission of Blastocystis.

Blastocystis is anaerobic, unicellular protozoan resides in intestinal tract of human as well as other hosts. It was considered as fungus before, now it has been classified to a protozoa. The pathogenicity of the organism is still doubtful and is the subject of debate. Hence, in this review, we will discuss classification, morphology, lifecycle, pathogenicity, Clinical features, Diagnosis and t...

Blastocystis is a common zoonotic enteric protozoan that has been classified into 17 distinct subtypes (STs). A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence and subtype distributions of Blastocystis in villagers living along the Chao Phraya River, Ayutthaya Province, Thailand, and to assess the risk of zoonotic infection. In total, 220 stool samples were collected, and DNA wa...

Small-subunit (SSU) rRNA gene sequences were obtained by PCR from 12 Blastocystis isolates from humans, rats, and reptiles for which elongation factor 1alpha (EF-1alpha) gene sequences are already available. These new sequences were analyzed by the Bayesian method in a broad phylogeny including, for the first time, all Blastocystis sequences available in the databases. Phylogenetic trees identi...

Blastocystis is an extracellular, enteric pathogen that induces intestinal disorders in a range of hosts including humans. Recent studies have identified potential parasite virulence factors in and host responses to this parasite; however, little is known about Blastocystis-host attachment, which is crucial for colonization and virulence of luminal stages. By utilizing 7 different strains of th...

Although the presence of cryptic host specificity has been documented in Blastocystis, differences in infection rates and high genetic polymorphism within and between populations of some subtypes (ST) have impeded the clarification of the generalist or specialist specificity of this parasite. We assessed the genetic variability and host specificity of Blastocystis spp. in wild howler monkeys fr...

Blastocystis is a genus of common single-celled intestinal parasitic protists with an unsettled role in human health and disease. Being a stable component of intestinal microbiota, once established, the Blastocystis parasite appears more common in healthy individuals than in patients with infectious, functional, or inflammatory bowel disease. Recent data suggest that the parasite is associated ...