@article{Jameel_Issa_Amidy_Mero_Sabri_Khdihir_2017, title={Prevalence of Intestinal Parasites under Fingernails of Primary School Children in Zakho, Kurdistan Region}, volume={5}, url={https://sjuoz.uoz.edu.krd/index.php/sjuoz/article/view/455}, DOI={10.25271/2017.5.1.295}, abstractNote={<p>In this study, 103 fingernails samples were collected (31 female and 72 male) from primary school children aged between 6 to12 years, which lived in Zakho city during the period from March to November, 2015. Each fingernail sample was immersed in normal saline, and subsequently centrifuged for 5 minutes at 2500 rpm. The supernatant was discarded; a few drops of the sediment of each sample were placed on the center of a clean glass slide with a drop of iodine or eosin, and then examined microscopically. The results revealed a total rate of 25.24% of infection with parasites. The recorded parasites with their rates included: eggs of <em>Enterobius vermicularis</em>, <em>Hymenolepis nana, Ascaris lumbricoides</em> and <em>Trichuris trichaura</em> (7.76, 5.82, 2.91 and 0.97 %, respectively) and cysts of <em>Entamoeba histolytica </em>and <em>Giardia lamblia</em> (4.85 and 2.91 %). According to age, the highest percentage of infection occurred in 9 years old children. Regarding the gender, males showed a higher rate of infection than females (17.47 % versus 7.76%, respectively). These results clarify the role of fingernails in the transmission of parasitic infections, which requires continuous cleaning and cutting.</p>}, number={1}, journal={Science Journal of University of Zakho}, author={Jameel, Ahmad Y. and Issa, Araz R. and Amidy, Kaveen S.Kh. and Mero, Wijdan M. S. and Sabri, Mohammed A. and Khdihir, Mohammed A.}, year={2017}, month={Mar.}, pages={25–27} }