ABSTRACT
This article presents an improvement to the Kato-Katz (KK) method, making it faster and more efficient for the visualisation of fertile eggs in stool samples. This modified KK method uses sodium acetate formalin as a fixative and reveals the intensity of infection in less than 1 h, reducing the diagnostic time without increasing the cost. This modified method may contribute to future epidemiological studies in both hospitals and the field due to its rapid and precise diagnostic, which allow for immediate treatment.
Subject(s)
Animals , Mice , Feces/parasitology , Parasite Egg Count/methods , Schistosoma mansoni/isolation & purification , Schistosomiasis mansoni/diagnosis , Diagnostic Tests, Routine , Sensitivity and SpecificityABSTRACT
The Kato-Katz (KK) method is a well-known method of fecal examination for helminthiases. Its diagnostic sensitivity was found very high for clonorchiasis. The present study evaluated the correlation of Clonorchis sinensis egg counts by the KK method with those by direct smear and formalin-ether (FE) technique. The egg counts obtained by the KK method (Y) were correlated with the counts by direct smear (X) with the equation of Y = 659.4 + 0.266X (r2= 0.738), but not with those by the FE method. The present study demonstrated that the KK method and direct smear were useful for both qualitative and quantitative diagnosis of clonorchiasis, especially in the field.
Subject(s)
Animals , Humans , Cellophane , Clonorchiasis/diagnosis , Clonorchis sinensis/isolation & purification , Comparative Study , Ether , Feces/parasitology , Formaldehyde , Parasite Egg Count/methods , Sensitivity and SpecificityABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the relationship of the intensity of Schistosoma japonicum infection with the variation in individual egg counts. Methods Stool specimens were collected from residents in a village in Jiangxi Province and examined with Kato-Katz thick smear method for seven consecutive days. Two smears were prepared and microscopically examined for each specimen. 570 individuals completed the investigation. Coefficient of variation (CV) was used to assess the intra-individual variation of the egg counts, in relation to the demographic characteristics including age,sex,occupation,and the intensity of infection. Results The proportion of individuals with at least one positive finding increased from 33.0% in a single measurement to 56.5% by seven measurements (P0.05). Conclusion The prevalence and intensity of S. japonicum infection by single Kato-Katz test was obviously lower than the real figures. The intensity of infection may be an essential factor that affects the intra-individual variation of egg counts.
ABSTRACT
Para avaliar a variação dos resultados de exames coprológicos realizados pelo método de Kato-Katz selecionaram-se 11 pacientes, comprovadamente infectados por Schistosoma mansoni e nunca submetidos à terapêutica específica, e coletaram-se 19 amostras diferentes de fezes de cada um, durante quatro semanas consecutivas. De cada amostra preparam-se quatro lâminas e cada uma foi examinada por quatro microscopistas que determinaram o número total de ovos de S. mansoni presentes, em experimento cego. Os resultados indicaram a existência de diferença significante entre o número médio de ovos eliminados por um mesmo paciente, ao longo dos 19 dias de pesquisa. Notou-se, também, variação significativa entre as médias das leituras de cada examinador, para o mesmo dia. Por outro lado, quando se comparou o resultado de um mesmo examinador na leitura das quatro lâminas de cada amostra, no mesmo dia, observou-se diferença significativa na quantidade de ovos encontrados. Raramente verificou-se discordância entre os mi-croscopistas quanto aos resultados qualitativos (AU).