Evaluation of an improved Giemsa staining technique for blood borne parasite in thick and thin blood film from dogs

Many a times the use of rapid diagnostic tests for blood borne parasites like trypanosomiasis and Babesiosis is increasingly being used, but the gold standard for its detection is still the use of microscopy both as reference and confirmatory diagnosis. To determine the effectiveness of the adjusted stock giemsa staining technique over the conventional methods. Venous Blood samples were collected from 10 dogs in EDTA and then used for the simultaneous preparation of two thin and thick smear slides, one stained according to Giemsa 1:20 dilution for 30 mins while the other was stained using the Stock Solution for 30seconds the diluted with buffered saline for 20seconds and rinsed. Fixation of the thin smear was done in a covered staining jar containing anhydrous methanol for 1 to 2 min, after which the slides were air-dried. From the result obtained from 10 dogs blood samples gotten from the veterinary clinic, the adjusted giemsa staining technique showed a positive differentiation when compared to the 1:20 dilution, a total of 7 blood samples tested positive for blood borne parasites, Trypanosoma evansi, Babesiosis cani and Heart worm. The highest percentage occurrence was T.evansi (40%), Babesiosis cani(20%) and Heart worm (10%).The adjusted Giemsa staining technique serves as a fast, easy and less complex alternative to the 1:20 dilution, where the solution has to be diluted from the stock solution and then stained, although the only disadvantage to this technique would be easy contamination of the stock solution, but the advantages here is that it saves time, quicker result output and better differentiation microscopically.