1 Prevalence of Intestinal Parasitic Infections among Food Handlers of a Tertiary Hospital in Manila using Direct Fecal Smear and Formalin Ether Concentration Technique

Intestinal parasitic infections remain as an important public health problem in the Philippines causing malabsorption, diarrhea, and other states of poor health. These infections are usually acquired through ingestion of contaminated food or water as a result of poor sanitation. Food handlers may play a significant role in transmission of parasites to consumer. The objectives of this cross sectional study were to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among food handlers in the dietary section of a tertiary hospital in Manila, and to compare Direct Fecal Smear (DFS) and Formalin Ether Concentration Technique (FECT), using one and two samples collected on two separate days, in diagnosing parasitic infections. Of the 102 food handlers in the dietary section, 68 submitted an initial stool sample and out of which, 59 submitted a second stool sample. Results showed that 42.4 % of the food handlers examined were positive for at least one intestinal parasite/organism. The most common parasite seen was Blastocystis hominis (40.7%). Other protozoans that were seen were Endolimax nana (16.9%), Entamoeba coli (13.5%), Giardia lamblia (3.4%) and coccidia (1.7%). FECT was found to significantly improve diagnosis of intestinal parasitic infection, in terms of detection rate and sensitivity, than DFS