مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رساني علوم و فناوري - Investigation of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia by direct fluorescent antibody-DFA method in stool specimens obtained from patients with diarrhea

Abstract :

Aim. Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia intestinalis are important parasitic protozoan causing diarrhea in developing and developed countries. Diagnosis of the Cryptosporidium oocyst in stool samples by conventional microscopy is labor-intensive and time-consuming. Thus, we aimed the presence of these protozoa in patients with diarrhea and to evaluate the usefulness of direct fluoresan antibody (DFA) test in detecting Cryptosporidium spp and G.intestinalis. from fecal specimens. Methods. For this aim, microscopy and specific antigen detection methods were used to determine Cryptosporidium spp. and G.intestinalis. One hundred stool specimens were examıned taken from patients with diarrhea whose ages ranged from 0 to 80 of applied to Hospital of Cumhuriyet University, Numune and Goverment Hospital in Sivas. All samples were tested for Cryptosporidium spp. G.intestinalis antigen by DFA and oocysts via gold Standard modified acid-fast staining for Cryptosporidium spp.and G.intestinalis direct microscopy. Results. One specimen was found to be positive by modified acid-fast staining method and four specimens by DFA method were found to be positive for cryptosporidiosis. On the other hand two specimens were found to be positive both direct microscopy and DFA for giardiosis. Conclusion. The results of DFA test indicate that the simple, rapid, reliable, and standardized test is sensitive and specific for routine diagnosis and may be useful for large-scale epidemiological studies of cryptosporidiosis and giardiosis.