Background Global studies show intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) have been introduced and spread with refugee inflows from low to high socio-economic countries. However, there is relatively limited information on the prevalence of infections among the community. Methods A 2-year cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors for infections among urban refugees in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. A total of 418 faecal samples were collected and examined by microscopy. Results Faecal screening revealed moderate levels (32.3%) of infections in the community. Three nematode (Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworm) and three protozoan species (Entamoeba, Giardia and Cryptosporidium) were recorded, with the highest prevalence being A. lumbricoides (20.6%) followed by T. trichiura (10.3%), while other infections were <5%. Statistical analysis found that young males with less education were more likely to be infected with helminths. Additionally, living near waste disposal sites, the presence of stray animals, eating with bare hands, bare footedness, poor handwashing practices and no anthelmintic treatment constituted significant risk factors for helminth infections. Protozoan infections were linked to drinking tap water or from water dispensers and poor handwashing practices. Conclusions These findings emphasize the importance of health education in addition to introduction of biannual anthelmintic treatment to promote community health and well-being.

中文翻译：

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马来西亚巴生谷城市难民肠道寄生虫感染及风险分析

背景 全球研究表明，肠道寄生虫感染 (IPIs) 是随着难民从社会经济水平较低的国家流入到水平较高的国家而引入和传播的。然而，有关社区感染流行情况的信息相对有限。方法进行了为期 2 年的横断面研究，以确定马来西亚巴生谷城市难民的感染流行率和相关危险因素。总共收集了 418 份粪便样本并通过显微镜检查。结果 粪便筛查显示社区中度感染（32.3%）。记录了三种线虫（蛔虫、鞭毛虫和钩虫）和三种原生动物（内阿米巴、贾第鞭毛虫和隐孢子虫），患病率最高的是蛔虫（20.6%），其次是毛虫（10.3%），而其他感染＜5％。统计分析发现，受教育程度较低的年轻男性更容易感染寄生虫。此外，居住在垃圾处理场附近、流浪动物的存在、赤手吃饭、赤脚、不良洗手习惯以及未进行驱虫治疗，都是蠕虫感染的重要危险因素。原生动物感染与饮用自来水或饮水机以及不良的洗手习惯有关。结论 这些研究结果强调了除了每年两次进行驱虫治疗之外，健康教育对于促进社区健康和福祉的重要性。