Chapter 5 



Technique for detection and identification 



of protozoa parasitic in the 



digestive tract 



T 



HE DETECTION and identification of the protozoa in- 

 habiting the digestive tract are done under ordinary 

 circumstances by examination of the faecal matter. 



Collection of material 



Natural movement should be collected. Do not use oily 

 purgatives in obtaining faecal specimens, as they make 

 the microscopical examination extremely difficult by the 

 presence of numerous oil droplets in the microscopic field. 

 The receptacle must be thoroughly cleaned and dry, and 

 provided with a cover. The urine or water must be ex- 

 cluded completelv. Avoid also using antiseptics for clean- 

 inor the container. And if thev are used, the container 

 should be cleaned and dried completely. The faeces must 

 be examined as soon as possible, since the active tropho- 

 zoites degenerate quicklv once outside the human intes- 

 tine. If dysenteric or diarrhoeic faeces are to be examined, 

 thev must not be older than one hour or two. In case this 

 is not possible, wrap the container with a woolen cloth 

 while transporting and keep it in an incubator at 37 °C. 

 The organisms may live for several hours. Care should 

 however be exercised during the microscopical examina- 

 tion, since there unavoidably will be present a large num- 



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