Evaluation of mini-FLOTAC method for diagnosing intestinal parasitic infections

Background: Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) are widely distributed throughout the world and have been identified as one of the most significant causes of illnesses and diseases. Accurate diagnosis is essential for proper management and to guide the design, implementation and monitoring of programs for community control of infectious diseases. Objective: To evaluate and compare mini-FLOTAC technique with the widely used formol-ethyl-acetate concentration method (FECM) in IPIs detection. Material and Methods: One hundred fecal samples were randomly collected from different laboratories. All samples were microscopically examined using mini-FLOTAC and FECM. Iodine and modified Zeil Neelsen stains were used to confirm the presence of protozoa cysts, and oocysts of Cryptosporidium spp. and C. cayetanensis, respectively. Results: About two thirds of samples (68%) were positive; 70.6% (48/68) contained only one parasitic infection by at least one method. Generally, the most frequent was Cryptosporidium spp. 35.3% (24/68) followed by E. histolytica/dispar 23.5% (16/68) and G. intestinalis 14.7% (10/68). It was observed that mini-FLOTAC detected the highest number of helminthes infections (100% sensitivity) in contrast to 41.1% for protozoa whereas FECM was the most sensitive approach for protozoa infections (98.2% sensitivity) in contrast to 68.7% for helminthes. Conclusion: Mini-FLOTAC is a safe rapid device for microscopic examination of stool samples with high sensitivity, affordability, and appropriateness of diagnosis in resource-limited settings where IPIs are widespread.