Prevalence of Intestinal Parasite Infestation in the Food Suppliers of Kerman City, Iran, in 2010

Infestations due to intestinal parasites are important food borne diseases and are a public health problem in developing countries. Some jobs take a significant role in the transmission and spread of these diseases in the society. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of intestinal parasite infection in food suppliers of Kerman, Iran. In this cross-sectional study, we used the existing data of the food suppliers referred to the reference laboratory in Kerman city health center, Iran. These data included demographic data and stool exam results. The chi-square test was used for data analysis. From the total of 7748 who were studied, 1.2 percent (95%CI: 1.198-1.202) of food stuff suppliers were parasite carrier, and the only seen parasite was giardia lamblia. The highest frequency of intestinal parasites was seen in supermarket staff (2.15%). The frequency of intestinal parasite infection had a significant difference among different job types. The sex and workplace was not significantly different between those with and without parasitic infection. Although parasite infections have been abundant in different regions of Iran in the past recent years, the prevalence has shown reduction after performing screening programs. Health officials should consider necessary plans to maintain and improve the implemented programs.