{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,1]],"date-time":"2026-04-01T19:28:01Z","timestamp":1775071681574,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"American Society for Microbiology","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,6]],"date-time":"2024-08-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1722902400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,6]],"date-time":"2024-08-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1722902400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.asm.org\/non-commercial-tdm-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.asm.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Microbiol Spectr"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,6]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n          <jats:sec>\n            <jats:title\/>\n            <jats:p>\n              Stool examination using microscopy was the traditional method for the diagnosis of intestinal parasites. Recently, the use of molecular tests to identify stool protozoa has become the main tool used in most clinical laboratories in Israel. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of intestinal parasites in Israel and to compare this prevalence in laboratories that use molecular tests vs a laboratory that uses microscopy. Samples collected from January to October 2021 at seven laboratories were analyzed by real-time PCR (RT-PCR) or by microscopy. The multiplex panel included the following pathogens:\n              <jats:italic>Giardia lamblia<\/jats:italic>\n              ,\n              <jats:italic>Entamoeba histolytica<\/jats:italic>\n              ,\n              <jats:italic>Cryptosporidium spp.<\/jats:italic>\n              ,\n              <jats:italic>Cyclospora<\/jats:italic>\n              ,\n              <jats:italic>Dientamoeba fragilis<\/jats:italic>\n              , and\n              <jats:italic>Blastocystis spp<\/jats:italic>\n              . Overall, 138,415 stool samples were tested by RT-PCR and 6,444 by microscopy. At least one protozoa species was identified in 28.4% of the PCR-tested samples compared to 4.6% of the microscopy-tested samples.\n              <jats:italic>D. fragilis<\/jats:italic>\n              was the most common PCR-identified species (29%).\n              <jats:italic>D. fragilis<\/jats:italic>\n              ,\n              <jats:italic>G. lamblia<\/jats:italic>\n              , and\n              <jats:italic>Cryptosporidium spp<\/jats:italic>\n              . were mainly found in pediatric population, while\n              <jats:italic>Blastocystis spp<\/jats:italic>\n              . was most prevalent among adults (\n              <jats:italic>P<\/jats:italic>\n              &lt; 0.001). In a sub-cohort of 21,480 samples, co-infection was found in 4,113 (19.15%) samples, with\n              <jats:italic>Blastocystis spp<\/jats:italic>\n              . and\n              <jats:italic>D. fragilis<\/jats:italic>\n              being the most common (14.9%) pair. Molecular stool testing proved more sensitive compared to microscopy.\n              <jats:italic>D. fragilis<\/jats:italic>\n              was the most commonly detected pathogen. The above profile was identified during the COVID pandemic when traveling was highly restricted and most likely represents the locally circulating protozoa.\n            <\/jats:p>\n          <\/jats:sec>\n          <jats:sec>\n            <jats:title>IMPORTANCE<\/jats:title>\n            <jats:p>This study sheds light on the prevalence of stool parasites in Israel. Additionally, this study indicates that the shift from microscope analysis to molecular tests improved protozoa diagnosis.<\/jats:p>\n          <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1128\/spectrum.00616-24","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,16]],"date-time":"2024-07-16T13:02:11Z","timestamp":1721134931000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1128\/asmj-crossmark-policy-page","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["The epidemiology of intestinal protozoa in the Israeli population based on molecular stool test: a nationwide study"],"prefix":"10.1128","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9012-6015","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Avi","family":"Peretz","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Tzafon Medical Center, Poriya, Israel, affiliated with Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Israel, Safed"},{"name":"The Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Safed, Tiberias, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0966-2575","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Maya","family":"Azrad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Tzafon Medical Center, Poriya, Israel, affiliated with Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Israel, Safed"},{"name":"The Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Safed, Tiberias, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Shifra","family":"Ken- Dror","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Central Laboratories Haifa and Western Galilee, Clalit Health Services, Nesher, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Merav","family":"Strauss","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Emek Medical Center, Clalit Health Services, Afula, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dana","family":"Sagas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Emek Medical Center, Clalit Health Services, Afula, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Miriam","family":"Parizada","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Maccabi Health Services, Central Laboratories, Rehovot, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Shulamit","family":"Loewnthal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Central Laboratories, Clalit Health Services, Tel Aviv, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Doron","family":"Amichay","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Central Laboratories, Clalit Health Services, Tel Aviv, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nili","family":"Ben Horin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Leumit Central Laboratories, Or Yehuda, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yotam","family":"Shenhar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Leumit Central Laboratories, Or Yehuda, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Orli","family":"Sagi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Microbiology Laboratory, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel"},{"name":"Faculty of health science, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Elina","family":"Bazarsky","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Microbiology Laboratory, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sharon","family":"Amit","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Microbiology, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 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