Evaluation of Commercial Concentration Methods for Microscopic Diagnosis of Protozoa and Helminths in Human Stool Samples in a Non-Endemic Area
Résumé
The diagnosis of intestinal parasitic infections still widely relies on microscopic examination of stools and requires reliable reagents and staff expertise. The ParaFlo (R) assays (Eurobio Ingen) are ready-to-use concentration methods for parasite egg detection, and they could improve reagent traceability and ease of manipulation. Ninety-three stool samples were analyzed with the ParaFlo (R) concentration methods and then compared with routine microscopic methods for protozoa and helminth detection: seventy-eight were analyzed with ParaFlo (R) Bailenger and in-house Thebault or Bailenger concentrations, and fifty-five were analyzed with ParaFlo (R) DC and the in-house merthiolateformalin diphasic concentration (DC) method. Fully concordant results were obtained for 75%, 70%, and 69% of samples when comparing ParaFlo (R) DC and in-house DC, ParaFlo (R) Bailenger and in-house Bailenger, and ParaFlo (R) Bailenger and Thebault, respectively. The performances of the ParaFlo (R) assays did not differ statistically from that obtained with their in-house counterparts (Bailenger and DC) for the detection of protozoa, but ParaFlo (R) Bailenger performed significantly poorer than the Thebault method (p < 0.001). No statistical differences were observed between the commercial and in-house methods for helminth detection. These marketed concentration methods could be used in routine if combined with other techniques for protozoa detection.
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