[Prevalence of Entamoeba histolytica infection and its risk factors in Tengchong City, Yunnan Provine: a hospital-based study]

Objective: To understand the infection status and risk factors of Entamoeba histolytica in inpatients in Tengchong City, Yunnan Province.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the inpatients in Tengchong People's Hospital, Yunnan Province. After obtaining the informed consent from the subjects, the stool samples were collected from 2016-07-01 to 2017-03-31, and nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect E. histolytica in the stool samples. Meanwhile, a structured questionnaire was used to record the demographic information and clinical symptoms for the patients.

Results: Totally 507 cases were recruited, and the detection rate of E. histolytica was 1.97% (10/507, 95% CI: 1.07%-3.59%) in all subjects. There were no significant differences between the inpatients with and without E. histolytica infection in the height (Z = -0.40, P = 0.69), weight (Z = -0.34, P = 0.73), body mass index (Z = -0.40, P = 0.69) and age (Z = -1.48, P = 0.14). Chronic diarrhea (OR = 21.43, 95% CI: 5.04-91.23) and daily drinking water (OR = 11.28, 95% CI: 2.79-45.56) were relevant to E. histolytica infection. No significant association was observed between E. histolytica infection and the clinical symptoms, such as abdominal distension (OR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.09-5.56), inappetence (OR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.06-4.02), itchy skin (OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.10-6.38), perianal pruritus (OR = 1.74, 95% CI: 0.21-14.07), and constipation (OR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.13-7.33).

Conclusions: E. histolytica infection is high in inpatients in Tengchong City, Yunnan Province, and chronic diarrhea and drinking unboiled water were highly correlated with E. histolytica infection.