The Changing Face of Helminth Infections: A 15-Year Temporal Analysis from Eastern Saudi Arabia
Abdullatif S Al Rashed Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Abdullatif S Al Rashed, Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Email asalrashed@...
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Dove Medical Press
2025-08-01
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| description | Abdullatif S Al Rashed Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Abdullatif S Al Rashed, Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Email asalrashed@iau.edu.saBackground: Helminth infections remain a significant health challenge worldwide, particularly in regions with diverse population demographics like Saudi Arabia. This retrospective study aimed to characterize the epidemiological profile, temporal trends, and seasonal patterns of helminth infections in Eastern Saudi Arabia over a 15-year period (2009– 2024).Methods: A comprehensive retrospective analysis of data from helminth-positive patients attending King Fahd Hospital of The University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia. We analyzed demographic characteristics, helminth species distribution, temporal trends, and seasonal patterns among 115 confirmed cases.Results: The study population had a mean age of 40.20 ± 12.64 years, with most infections (59.1%) occurring in the 36– 50 age group. Female patients comprised 55.7% (n = 64) of the study population, while males accounted for 44.3% (n = 51). Non-Saudi nationals represented 83.5% of cases, with Filipino (29.6%) and Indian (17.4%) nationals most frequently affected. Ascaris lumbricoides (31.3%) and hookworm (16.5%) were the predominant helminth species. The highest number of cases was recorded in 2013 (14.8%), with a notable declining trend thereafter. Winter exhibited the highest prevalence (36.5%) of infections, and 63.5% of cases presented as emergency visits. Gender-specific seasonal patterns were observed, with females showing higher spring prevalence (37.5%) and males higher autumn prevalence (33.3%).Conclusion: This study reveals distinct epidemiological patterns of helminth infections in Eastern Saudi Arabia, characterized by predominance among non-Saudi nationals, winter seasonality, and declining trends over the study period. These findings highlight the need for targeted screening among expatriate populations and season-specific preventive strategies in non-endemic settings with substantial migrant populations.Keywords: expatriate health, hospital epidemiology, infectious disease trends, parasitic infections, public health surveillance |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c54b2e271e1f49e5bf2fa1f4508558dc |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1178-6973 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Dove Medical Press |
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| series | Infection and Drug Resistance |
| spelling | doaj-art-c54b2e271e1f49e5bf2fa1f4508558dc2025-08-20T03:39:31ZengDove Medical PressInfection and Drug Resistance1178-69732025-08-01Volume 18Issue 139193931105487The Changing Face of Helminth Infections: A 15-Year Temporal Analysis from Eastern Saudi ArabiaAl Rashed AS0Department of Microbiology, College of MedicineAbdullatif S Al Rashed Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Abdullatif S Al Rashed, Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Email asalrashed@iau.edu.saBackground: Helminth infections remain a significant health challenge worldwide, particularly in regions with diverse population demographics like Saudi Arabia. This retrospective study aimed to characterize the epidemiological profile, temporal trends, and seasonal patterns of helminth infections in Eastern Saudi Arabia over a 15-year period (2009– 2024).Methods: A comprehensive retrospective analysis of data from helminth-positive patients attending King Fahd Hospital of The University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia. We analyzed demographic characteristics, helminth species distribution, temporal trends, and seasonal patterns among 115 confirmed cases.Results: The study population had a mean age of 40.20 ± 12.64 years, with most infections (59.1%) occurring in the 36– 50 age group. Female patients comprised 55.7% (n = 64) of the study population, while males accounted for 44.3% (n = 51). Non-Saudi nationals represented 83.5% of cases, with Filipino (29.6%) and Indian (17.4%) nationals most frequently affected. Ascaris lumbricoides (31.3%) and hookworm (16.5%) were the predominant helminth species. The highest number of cases was recorded in 2013 (14.8%), with a notable declining trend thereafter. Winter exhibited the highest prevalence (36.5%) of infections, and 63.5% of cases presented as emergency visits. Gender-specific seasonal patterns were observed, with females showing higher spring prevalence (37.5%) and males higher autumn prevalence (33.3%).Conclusion: This study reveals distinct epidemiological patterns of helminth infections in Eastern Saudi Arabia, characterized by predominance among non-Saudi nationals, winter seasonality, and declining trends over the study period. These findings highlight the need for targeted screening among expatriate populations and season-specific preventive strategies in non-endemic settings with substantial migrant populations.Keywords: expatriate health, hospital epidemiology, infectious disease trends, parasitic infections, public health surveillancehttps://www.dovepress.com/the-changing-face-of-helminth-infections-a-15-year-temporal-analysis-f-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-IDRExpatriate healthHospital epidemiologyInfectious disease trendsParasitic infectionsPublic health surveillance. |
| spellingShingle | Al Rashed AS The Changing Face of Helminth Infections: A 15-Year Temporal Analysis from Eastern Saudi Arabia Infection and Drug Resistance Expatriate health Hospital epidemiology Infectious disease trends Parasitic infections Public health surveillance. |
| title | The Changing Face of Helminth Infections: A 15-Year Temporal Analysis from Eastern Saudi Arabia |
| title_full | The Changing Face of Helminth Infections: A 15-Year Temporal Analysis from Eastern Saudi Arabia |
| title_fullStr | The Changing Face of Helminth Infections: A 15-Year Temporal Analysis from Eastern Saudi Arabia |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Changing Face of Helminth Infections: A 15-Year Temporal Analysis from Eastern Saudi Arabia |
| title_short | The Changing Face of Helminth Infections: A 15-Year Temporal Analysis from Eastern Saudi Arabia |
| title_sort | changing face of helminth infections a 15 year temporal analysis from eastern saudi arabia |
| topic | Expatriate health Hospital epidemiology Infectious disease trends Parasitic infections Public health surveillance. |
| url | https://www.dovepress.com/the-changing-face-of-helminth-infections-a-15-year-temporal-analysis-f-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-IDR |
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