Comparison of sensitivity and faecal egg counts of Mini-FLOTAC using fixed stool samples and Kato-Katz technique for the diagnosis of Schistosoma mansoni and soil-transmitted helminths
Abstract
Accurate diagnostic tools for human helminthiasis are crucial for epidemiological surveys, improved patient management, and evaluation of community-based intervention studies. However, the diagnosis of intestinal schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis heavily relies on stool microscopy using the Kato-Katz technique, which has a low sensitivity. The Mini-FLOTAC method is an alternative microscopy-based technique, but its diagnostic performance using sodium acetate-acetic acid-formalin-(SAF)-fixed stool specimens has not been validated. The fixation of stool samples for later examination in a laboratory may reduce logistical and financial barriers of prevalence surveys by not requiring field laboratories. We compared the diagnostic accuracy of the Kato-Katz technique using fresh stool samples with the Mini-FLOTAC technique, employing matched stool samples that were fixed in SAF. Three consecutive stool samples from 149 school-aged children in Côte d'Ivoire were subjected to quintuplicate Kato-Katz thick smears examined on the same day. From the remaining stool, approximately 2g was fixed in 10ml of SAF for about 3 months, and then subjected to the Mini-FLOTAC method, using two flotation solutions (FS2 and FS7). The co...Continue Reading
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