The detection of Cryptosporidium spp. in the feces of a preschool population: a comparison of 5 staining methods

Abstract

The usefulness of five dying techniques to detect oocysts of Cryptosporidium spp in stools is evaluated in a healthy children preschool population, taking from a smear of the sediment obtained in the formalin-ether concentration technique (Ritchie's test). 10 positive stool samples were detected of a total of 115 samples (8.7%). Dying with Lugol the sediment of Ritchie's test only detected 40% of positive samples. Modified Ziehl-Neelsen dye, auramine dye and indirect immunofluorescence dye with monoclonal antibodies, yielded an excellent diagnostic correlation (each of them detected 90% of the positive samples). Indirect immunofluorescence dye with specific human antibodies detected one case more of parasites than the rest of dyes, is not expensive and easy to perform.