A Study of the Prevalence of the Parasite Entamoeba histolytica Among Patients Attending Al-Zawiya Hospital, Using Descriptive Statistical Analysis and Data Mining Techniques

Amebic infection caused by the parasite (Entamoeba histolytica) remains a public health concern, particularly in settings where food and water contamination may facilitate transmission. Early detection, improved hygiene and sanitation, and safe food and water are important preventive measures. Confirmatory testing for species identification is also recommended because E. histolytica may be microscopically similar to non-pathogenic species. This study aimed to describe the proportion of laboratory samples recorded as positive for Entamoeba, examine the distribution of positive records by month and sex, and explore decision-tree classification. A retrospective analysis included 264 stool examination records from patients attending the biological laboratory at Al-Zawiya Hospital, Libya, from January 2020 to August 2021. The dataset comprised 104 records from 2020 and 160 from 2021. Recorded variables included year, month, sex, age, parasite test result, fecal mucus, and stool color. Of the 264 records, 90 (34.09%) were labelled positive and 174 (65.91%) negatives. The largest monthly count was recorded in July (18 cases). Of the 90 positive records, 53 were male (38.69%) and 37 were female (29.13%). The decision-tree analysis was exploratory. The reported accuracy was 65.9%, precision for the positive class was 50.0%, sensitivity was 12.2%, and the F1-score was 19.6%. The low sensitivity indicates that the model missed most positive records and should not be used for clinical diagnosis or screening. Keywords: E. histolytica; retrospective analysis; data mining; decision tree.