Dentistry and Medical Research (Jan 2014)

Detection of intestinal protozoa by using different methods

  • Mergani Hassan Mergani,
  • Mohammed Al-Shebani Mohammed,
  • Nawed Khan,
  • Meraj Bano,
  • Abdul Hafeez Khan

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4103/2348-1471.143326
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 2, no. 2
pp. 28 – 32

Abstract

Read online

A total of 305 stools samples during the period of October 2011 to June 2012 were collected from patients attending Brack General Hospital and Medical Technology, Department of Brack, Al-Shati, Libya. All stool samples were examined by direct smear preparation in normal saline, iodine, and eosin stains and 4 concentration methods (formalin-ether, normal saline sedimentation, zinc sulfate, and Sheather′s sugar flotation). Of the 305 samples, 18.03% stools were found positive for protozoan parasites in direct smear microscopy. Normal saline sedimentation and zinc sulfate flotation detected 27.21% and 23.6% positive samples, respectively. However, formalin-ether was found to be the most sensitive method. Sheather′s sugar flotation failed to detect Entamoeba histolytica/dispar, Entamoeba coli, and Blastocystis hominis. B. hominis was the most common parasite among the patients. Concentration techniques showed significantly higher (P < 0.05) detection rates of parasites compared with direct smear microscopy.

Keywords