Geoparasites in rural Dakahlia Governorate, a preliminary based study for development of the community-based intervention programs.

: A prospective study was carried out to detect the rural prevalence and intensity of geoparasites in Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt. A total of 1070 soil samples were collected; 571 (53.4%) were infected with one or more parasites. Only 24% of samples were infected with one parasite, 16.4% and 13% with two, and more than two parasites respectively, and the difference was statistically significant. The geoparasites in a descending order of their prevalence were: E. histolytica cysts (9.2%), Toxocara eggs (9.1%), Giardia cysts (7.9%), Cryptosporidium oocysts (6.1%), Trichostrongylus eggs and larvae (5.6%), Isospora oocysts (4.3%), Acanathamoeba cysts (4.1%), Naegleria cysts (3.6%), Dust mites (2.7%), H. diminuta eggs (2.7%), Strongyloides free living adults, rhabditiform and filariform larvae (2.3%), H. nana eggs (1.7%), S. mansoni eggs (1.2%), Ascaris eggs (0.6%), Ancylostoma larvae (0.5%), Taenia eggs (0.4%), Trichocephalus eggs (0.4%) and F. gigantica eggs (0.2%). The prevalence of parasitic infections was significantly higher (P<0.001) in fields (63.4%) than streets (47.7%) and indoor-yards samples (35.3%). The intensity of infections was significantly higher (P< 0.001) in streets than fields and indoor-yards (18.1, 9.7 & 1 parasite/10 gm of soil respectively).