Pharmaceutics – level 3 &4 –parasitology – LAB 2 T/ Mohammed Hail Al Adeemy

Diagnosis of parasites
Parasitic
diagnosis

Direct Indirect Molecular Culture

Stool IHAT PCR

Urine LAT
Blood IFAT
Sputum CFT
Biopsy ELISA
Aspirates

NOTE :
 IHAT : indirect haemagglutination test .
 LAT : latex agglutination test .
 IFAT : indirect fluorescent antibody test .
 CFT : complement fixation test .
 ELISA : enzyme linked immunosorbent assay .
 PCR : polymerase chain reaction.

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Pharmaceutics – level 3 &4 –parasitology – LAB 2 T/ Mohammed Hail Al Adeemy

Stool examination
Reasons for examining faecal specimens :
 Diagnosis of parasites .
 To identify the parasitic causes of blood and mucus
in faeces .
 Differentiate amoebic dysentery from bacterial
dysentery.
 To identify intestinal parasitic infections that
require treatment .
 To identify chronic significant infections that if not
treated can lead to serious complications
developing later in life .
 To detect serious hookworm infection in patients
with severe iron deficiency anaemia, especially in a
pregnant woman or child.
 To assist in the surveillance and control of local
parasitic infections caused by geohelminths (soil
transmitted nematodes), and helminths
transmitted by the ingestion of infected meat,
freshwater fish, crabs, or shell-fish.

Collection of faecal specimen for parasitic

examination :
 A fresh faecal specimen is required.
 It should be uncontaminated with urine.

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Pharmaceutics – level 3 &4 –parasitology – LAB 2 T/ Mohammed Hail Al Adeemy

 Use specimen containers that suitable size, leak-

proof, clean and dry.
 The container need not be sterile but must be free
of all traces of antiseptics and disinfectants.
 A large teaspoon amount of faeces is adequate or
about 10 ml of a fluid specimen.
 Several specimens collected on alternate days may
be required to detect parasites that are excreted
intermittently, e.g. Giardia.

NOTE :
- Avoid using containers made from leaves, paper, or
matchboxes because these will not be leak-proof,
may not be clean, and can result in the faecal
contamination of hands and surfaces.
- Dysenteric and watery specimens must reach the
laboratory as soon as possible after being passed
(within 15 minutes) otherwise motile parasites such
as E. histolytica and G. lamblia trophozoites may
not be detected.
- Other specimens should reach the laboratory
within 1 hour of being collected.
- Specimens must be labelled correctly and
accompanied by a correctly completed request
form.

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 Pharmaceutics – level 3 &4 –parasitology – LAB 2 T/ Mohammed Hail Al Adeemy

Stool examination

Microscopic Macroscopic

Direct saline Iodine Cocentration Consistency:

smear Colour
smear techniques liquid
(watery)
solid
semisolid
Sedimentation Floatation

Formol Saturated Zinc

Saline
ether saline suphate