Conventional methods used in the clinical laboratory for the identification of Ascaris lumbricoides

Abstract

Soil transmitted helminths affect millions of people around the world, ascariasis can generate different symptoms in the patient, so clinical diagnosis requires an exhaustive study. To date, there is no gold technique for the identification of Ascaris lumbricoides. However, the standard detection method despite its low sensitivity is the thick Kato-Katz extension, which is often used for mapping national programs. This technique can be complemented with methods such as: formalin-ether concentration, Kato- Katz, McMaster, flotation techniques (such as FLOTAC and Mini-FLOTAC), aqueous biphasic system that may be complemented with indirect conventional techniques such as blood count and serological diagnosis (identification of antibodies), the usefulness of these methodologies is limited to evaluating the transmission of this helminth in endemic areas that point to possible elimination. Molecular diagnostics are a futuristic trend, sensitive and specific, but their high costs limit their use in these countries