Table 1. Major characteristics of the included studies.
| No | Study ID (references) | Publication Year | Country, place | Sample size (% female) | Cases | Methods | Reported parasites |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abdel-Aziz 2010 [18] | 2010 | Sudan, El dhayga, Central Sudan | 157 (47.8) | 83 | DWM and FECT | E. histolytica and G. lamblia |
| 2 | Abossie 2014 [19] | 2014 | Ethiopia, Chencha town, Southern Ethiopia | 400 (52.3) | 94 | DWM and FECT | E. histolytica/dispar and G. lamblia |
| 3 | Adams 2005 [20] | 2005 | South Africa, Cape Town | 3890 (49.8) | 673 | FECT | Giardia spp. |
| 4 | Adedoja 2015 [21] | 2015 | Nigeria, Pategi, Kwara State | 748 (50.8) | 197 | DWM and FECT | E. histolytica, E. coli, G. lamblia |
| 5 | Alemu 2019a [22] | 2019 | Ethiopia, Birbir, Southern Ethiopia | 351 (48.7) | 25 | DWM and FECT | E. histolytica/dispar and G. lamblia |
| 6 | Alemu 2019b [23] | 2019 | Ethiopia, Northwest | 273 (45.8) | 22 | DWM and FECT | E. histolytica/dispar and G. lamblia |
| 7 | Al-Shehri 2019 [24] | 2019 | Uganda, Gondar town | 254 (50.4) | 221 | qPCR | G. duodenalis |
| 8 | Amare 2013 [25] | 2013 | Ethiopia, Gondar town, Northwest | 405 (46.2) | 2 | DWM and FECT | G. lamblia and Entamoeba spp. |
| 9 | Awolaju 2009 [26] | 2009 | Nigeria, South-west | 312 (54.5) | 29 | DWM | E. histolytica |
| 10 | Ayogu 2015 [27] | 2015 | Nigeria, Enugu State | 450 (51.6) | 190 | DWM | E.histolytica |
| 11 | Baba 2012 [28] | 2012 | Mauritania, Gorgol, Guidimagha and Brakna | 1308 (57.8) | 405 | DWM | E. histolytica, E. coli, E. hartmani, G. intestinalis, E. nanus, Pseudolimax butchilii and C. mesnilii |
| 12 | Birhanu 2018 [29] | 2018 | Ethiopia, Pawe, Northwest Ethiopia | 422 (54.0) | 20 | DWM and FECT | G. lamblia |
| 13 | Bisangamo 2017 [30] | 2017 | Kiliba city, Eastern DR Congo | 602 (55.1) | 181 | DWM | E. histolytica, G. intestinalis and Trichomonas intestinalis |
| 14 | Chege 2020 [31] | 2020 | Kenya, Nakuru town | 96 (NR) | 40 | PCR | E. dispar, E. coli and G. intestinalis |
| 15 | de Alegria 2017 [32] | 2017 | Angola, Cubal, Southwestern | 230 (56.1) | 17 | FECT | G. lamblia, B. coli and E. histolytica/dispar |
| 16 | Dyab 2016 [33] | 2016 | Egypt, Aswan | 300 (43.3) | 58 | DWM, FECT and mZN stain |
E. histolytica, G. lamblia and Cryptosporidium spp. |
| 17 | Erismann 2016 [34] | 2016 | Burkina Faso, Plateau Central and Centre-Ouest regions | 385 (48.8) | 326 | DWM and FECT | E. histolytica/dispar, E. coli, Trichomonas intestinalis, B. coli and G. intestinalis |
| 18 | Eyamo 2019 [35] | 2019 | Ethiopia, Tula Sub-City, Southern | 384 (51.8) | 82 | FECT | G. duodenalis and E. histolytica/dispar |
| 19 | Fan 2012 [36] | 2012 | Kingdom of Swaziland, northwestern | 267 (56.9) | 86 | MIFC | G. lamblia, E. histolytica/dispar, B. hominis, E. coli, E. nana, C. mesnelli and Iodamoeba butschlii |
| 20 | Forson 2017 [37] | 2017 | Ghana, Accra | 300 (48.0) | 33 | DWM and FECT | G. lamblia and E. histolytica/dispar |
| 21 | Gebretsadik 2020 [38] | 2020 | Ethiopia, Harbu, North East | 400 (62.3) | 37 | DWM and FECT | E. histolytica and G. lamblia |
| 22 | Gelaw 2013 [39] | 2013 | Ethiopia, Gondar town | 304 (44.1) | 40 | DWM and FECT | E. histolytica/dispar and G. intestinalis |
| 23 | Gyang 2019 [40] | 2019 | Nigeria, Lagos city | 384 (51.0) | 202 | MIFC | E. histolytica/dispar, E. coli, G. duodenalis, E. nana and B. hominis |
| 24 | Hailegebriel 2017 [41] | 2017 | Ethiopia, Bahir Dar | 359 (50.7) | 134 | FECT | E. histolytica, G. lamblia and T. hominins |
| 25 | Hailegebriel 2018 [42] | 2018 | Ethiopia, Bahir Dar | 382 (49.5) | 66 | FECT | E. histolytica/dispar, G. lamblia and Isospora belli |
| 26 | Hall 2008 [43] | 2008 | Ethiopia, all 11 regions of Ethiopia | 7466 (50.2) | 239 | FECT | G. duodenalis |
| 27 | Heimer 2015 [44] | 2015 | Rwanda, Huye district | 622 (NR) | 222 | qPCR | G. duodenalis |
| 28 | Htun 2018 [45] | 2018 | South Africa, Port Elizabeth, South-eastern | 842 (49.4) | 114 | RDTs | C. parvum and G. intestinalis |
| 29 | Ibrahium 2011 [46] | 2011 | Egypt, Minia Governorate | 264 (64.8) | 84 | DWM and FECT | G. lamblia and E. coli |
| 30 | Ihejirika 2019 [47] | 2019 | Nigeria, Imo State, South Eastern | 300 (NR) | 32 | FECT | E. histolytica, E. coli and G. lambia |
| 31 | Jejaw 2015 [48] | 2015 | Ethiopia, Mizan-Aman, Southwest | 460 (50.4) | 36 | DWM and FECT | G. lamblia and E. histolytica/dispar/moshkovskii |
| 32 | Kesete 2020 [49] | 2020 | Eritrea, Ghindae town | 450 (52.2) | 172 | FECT | E. histolytica/dispar and G. duodenalis |
| 33 | Khaled 2020 [50] | 2020 | Senegal, northwestern | 731 (48.2) | 588 | qPCR | Blastocystis spp. |
| 34 | Legesse 2010 [51] | 2010 | Ethiopia, Adwa, Northern | 381 (56.2) | 7 | FECT | E. histolytica/dispar |
| 35 | Liao 2016 [52] | 2016 | DR of Sao Tome and Principe, Capital areas | 252 (52.0) | 72 | MIFC | E. histolytica/dispar, G. intestinalis and B. hominis |
| 36 | Mahmud 2013 [53] | 2013 | Ethiopia, Northern | 583 (53.5) | 286 | DWM and FECT | E. histolytica/dispar and G. lamblia |
| 37 | Müller 2016 [54] | 2016 | South Africa, Port Elizabeth | 934 (49.5) | 144 | RDTs | C. parvums and G. intestinalis |
| 38 | Nguyen 2012 [55] | 2012 | Ethiopia, Angolela | 664 (48.6) | 202 | FECT | G. lamblia and E. histolytica |
| 39 | Njambi 2020 [56] | 2020 | Kenya, Mwea, Central | 180 (50.0) | 59 | DWM | E. histolytica/dispar, E. coli and G. intestinalis |
| 40 | Oliveira 2015 [57] | 2015 | Angola, Lubango city, Huíla Province | 328 (56.4) | 66 | DWM | G. lamblia and E. histolytica/dispar |
| 41 | Opara 2012 [58] | 2012 | Nigeria, Akwa Ibom State | 405 (49.4) | 21 | DWM and FECT | G. lamblia and E. histolytica/dispar |
| 42 | Orish 2019 [59] | 2019 | Ghana, Volta Region | 550 (54.7) | 11 | DWM | Entamoeba spp. |
| 43 | Reji 2011 [60] | 2011 | Ethiopia, Adama town | 358 (57.3) | 57 | FECT | E. histolytica/dispar and G. lamblia |
| 44 | Sitotaw 2020 [61] | 2020 | Ethiopia, Sasiga District, Southwest | 383 (48.8) | 58 | DWM and FECT | E. histolytica and G. intestinalis |
| 45 | Tagajdid 2012 [62] | 2012 | Morocco, Salé city | 123 (NR) | 71 | MIFC | E. histolytica/dispar, G. intestinalis, E. nana, C. mesnilii and B. hominis |
| 46 | Tembo 2020 [63] | 2020 | Zambia, Lusaka | 329 (55.6) | 33 | DWM and FECT | G. duodenalis |
NR; not recorded, DWM; Direct wet mount, FECT: formalin-ether concentration technique, MIFC: Merthiolate-iodine-formaldehyde concentration, mZN stain; PCR: Polymerase chain reaction, qPCR: Real-time PCR, RDTs: Rapid Diagnostic Tests