Medical Microbiology

624 LaboratoryDiagnosisofParasitoses

MaterialforPolymeraseChainReaction(PCR)

ThePCR(seep.409)isnowusedtodetectoridentifyspeciesorstrainsof

differentparasites,includingforexampleLeishmania,Toxoplasma,Micro-

spora,Echinococcus,Taenia,andfilarialworms.Foranalysiswiththistechni-

que,thefollowingmaterialscanbesenttothelaboratory,dependingonthe

parasitespeciesinvolved:biopsyortissuespecimensfromhosts,blood(with

EDTAorheparinadded),sputum,fecalspecimensorothermaterialsinnative

condition,andpartsofparasites(forexampleproglottidsofTaenia).Some

specimenscanalsobefixedin 70 %ethanol(consultwiththelaboratory).

TissueSpecimensandParasites

&Skinsnip:fordetectionofmicrofilariaeinskin.Removeabouta 5 mm^2

surfaceskinspecimenusingascalpelandneedle,withoutopeninganyblood

vessels,atthepelviccrest,thighorothersuitablelocalization,transferim-

mediatelyto0.9%NaClsolutionandtransporttolaboratoryimmediately

orsendbyexpressdelivery.

&Surgicalpreparationsandbiopsies:eitherbystandardmethodfixedin

4 %formalinorfinishedsectionpreparations.

&Parasites:placetapewormparts,trematodes,andnematodesinliquid

(physiologicalsaline).Fixarthropodsinhot 70 %ethanol.Consultwithlabora-

toryonsendinginotherparasites.

ImmunodiagnosticandMolecularTechniques

Anumberofparasitosescanbediagnosedbyimmunologicaltechniques

(detectionofantibodiesorcirculatingantigensinserumorofcoproantigens

instool) and/orby DNAanalysisusingthePCRoranother technique.

Table 11. 5 providesanoverviewofselectedoptions.

11

Kayser, Medical Microbiology © 2005 Thieme