AIM To investigate the putative role of protozoan parasites in the development of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). METHODS The study included 109 IBS consecutive adult patients fulfilling the Rome III criteria and 100 healthy control subjects. All study subjects filled a structured questionnaire, which covered demographic information and clinical data. Fresh stool samples were collected from p...

BACKGROUND Blastocystis is a zoonotic protozoan parasite living in the digestive system of some vertebrates. This parasite has some subtypes, pathogenicity status of which has still remained controversial. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to determine the subtype of Blastocystis in infected cattle. MATERIALS AND METHODS This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 196 isolate...

BACKGROUND Blastocystis is one of the most common parasites, reported from both human and animals. This parasite is more prevalent in regions with low levels of hygiene, close contact with animal and unsuitable disposal systems. The aim of the study was to subtype Blastocystis sp., isolated from diarrheic and non-diarrheic patients using sequencing of 18S ribosomal DNA. METHODS Totally, 300 s...

Blastocystis homins is a protozoan that causes an intestinal infection known as human blastocystosis. This infection is diagnosed by means of parasitological examination of stools and by permanent staining techniques. The present study was developed to evaluate the frequency of Blastocystis hominis infection among inhabitants of the Araraquara region, State of São Paulo, and to compare differen...

This study reports the occurrence of Blastocystis in water from two rivers, Sungai Congkak and Sungai Batu, located in recreational areas in Malaysia. This protozoan was detected in samples from both rivers with an average of 33.3% and 22.1%, respectively. It was detected highest at the downstream (73.8% and 33.8%) followed by midstream (17.5% and 25.0%) and upstream (8.8% and 7.5%) stations, w...