Extending TF-Test to the diagnosis of gastrintestinal parasites of humans and animals.

Parasitic species inhabit the intestinal tract of humans and animals, and they can cause damages whose severity depends on several factors related to the parasite and the host. Immunocompromised individuals are more likely to develop severe forms of parasitic infestation. The gastrointestinal parasites diagnosis is performed mainly by the parasitological examination of feces, which consists of the visualization and identification of the parasitic structures eliminated along with the feces. These exams have low sensitivity and a large number of impurities, which can impair the result of the diagnosis. In order to improve the diagnosis quality, a new parasitological technique called Three Fecal Test (TF‑Test) was developed. Thus, we have approached in this study new techniques to diagnose gastrointestinal parasites from human and animal fecal samples. These techniques originate from adaptations and improvements of the TF‑Test technique protocol. From these operational changes it has been possible to carry out the diagnosis of several human and animal parasites, with satisfactory results.