Objective: In this study, data from 5,453 stool samples collected from patients presented with a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms between July 2011 and July 2012 was aimed to be evaluated retrospectively with parasitological aspects at the Microbiology Laboratory of Gaziantep University Medical Faculty.

Material and Method: Examination of stool samples was performed with native-lugol method and trichrome or acid-fast stained samples were prepared in suspected cases.

Results: From a total of 5,453 stool samples, one or more parasites were found in 813 samples (14.91%) and 4,640 samples (85.09%) were free from parasites. Entamoeba histolytica/dispar trophozoites/cysts were detected in 679 (12.45%), Giardia intestinalis in 117 (2.15%), Hymenelopis nana in 7 (0.13%), Taenia spp. in 6 (0.11%), Enterobius vermicularis in 2 (0.04%), and Isospora belli, Strongyloides stercoralis and Trichuris trichura in 1 sample each (0.01%). As gender and age groups were analyzed, parasites were detected in 460 (15.10%) of samples obtained from male patients, in 353 (14.67%) obtained from female patients, in 315 (11.4%) of the pediatric age, and in 498 (19.15%) of the adult age group. In our study, the detec-tion rates of parasites according to months were analyzed; April (18.66%), August (18.53%), July (17.92%) and September (17.68%) were the most commonly parasite detected months.

Conclusion: This study highlights the feature of intestinal parasitic infections being a serious public health problem in our city.