High occurrence of sp. subtype 3 in individuals referred to medical laboratories in Kermanshah, Iran.

Aim: The current study investigated the prevalence and genotypes of sp. in individuals who referred to medical laboratories in Kermanshah, Iran.

Background: sp is a common intestinal protozoan found in humans and a wide range of animals, and it is involved in the development of gastrointestinal disorders.

Methods: A total of 950 stool samples were examined using the standard formalin-ether concentration technique. All specimens were cultured in Robinson xenic medium. Subsequently, DNA extraction and PCR amplification of subtype specific sequence-tagged site (STS) were conducted.

Results: Microscopic examination showed that 86 out of 950 samples (9.05%) were infected with sp. Subsequently, 33 of 86 positive samples were cultured and molecularly confirmed by conventional PCR, indicating six subtypes (ST1-ST6). Of note, ST3 (45.0%) was the predominant subtype, followed by ST1 (15.15%) and ST5 (12%).

Conclusion: Based on the current findings, ST3 was the most frequent subtype among all positive samples. Having a better understanding of sp. subtype distribution and risk factors would lead to improved preventive measures.