By looking at a blood smear under a microscope, parasitic diseases such as filariasis, malaria, or babesiosis, can be diagnosed. This test is done by placing a drop of blood on a microscope slide. The slide is then stained and examined under a microscope.
Ultrasonography is the method of choice for screening; it is usually complemented by CT, which detects the large number of lesions and characteristic calcifications (Figure 82-5). MRI may facilitate the diagnosis in some cases. The diagnosis can be confirmed by parasite identification in surgical or biopsy material.
Fecal testing (examination of your stool) can identify both helminths and protozoa. Stool samples must be collected before you take any anti-diarrhea drugs or antibiotics, or before x-rays with barium are taken. Several stool samples may be needed to find the parasite.
Fecal Samples Tell All
The most effective way of diagnosing parasites in dogs and cats is through fecal samples.
Microscopic Examination. Microscopic examination is a basic and gold standard method for the diagnosis of parasitic infections.
Parasites usually enter the body through the mouth or skin. Doctors diagnose the infection by taking samples of blood, stool, urine, sputum, or other infected tissue and examining or sending them to a laboratory for analysis.
X-ray, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan, Computerized Axial Tomography scan (CAT)These tests are used to look for some parasitic diseases that may cause lesions in the organs.
Blood tests that detect antibody (an immune response) to the parasite can be helpful for cases of visceral leishmaniasis; tests to look for the parasite (or its DNA) itself usually also are done.
Fecal flotation is a routine veterinary test used to diagnose internal parasites or worms. The test detects the eggs of mature parasites that live inside the body and pass their eggs to the outside by shedding them into the host's stool.
Since fecal examination is very labor-intensive and requires a skilled microscopist, antigen detection tests have been developed as alternatives using direct fluorescent antibody (DFA), enzyme immunoassay (EIA), and rapid, dipstick-like tests.
Threadworms look like tiny pieces of white cotton. Roundworms look more like earthworms. Hookworms can cause a red worm-shaped rash. Tapeworms are long, pale yellow and flat.
Direct fecal smears are most useful for the diagnosis of protozoal parasites which have motile trophozoite stages that are passed in the feces. Cysts and oocysts of coccidia and Giardia sp.
Other specimens received for detection of parasites include urine, sputum, liver aspirates, duodenal aspirates, bile, corneal scrapings, contact lens fluid, and tissue.
Washing your hands, genitals, and anus with soap and water before and after sexual activity. Using barrier methods during sex. Barrier methods include condoms, dental dams, and cut-open condoms.
The real-time PCR assays for parasite detection at CDC use either the DNA-binding dye SYBR Green or sequence-specific TaqMan probes as fluorescence detection mechanisms.
The ELISA assay is a superior immunodiagnostic tool that enables detection of antibodies to the pathogen both during and post infection in comparison with conventional methods where the presence of the pathogen is required in the sample.
This PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test looks for the genetic fingerprint of a wide range of pathogens. This is a far more sensitive test than the old fashioned technique of looking through a microscope. Technology for detecting parasites and other pathogens has improved dramatically since 2013.
Wash hands with warm water and soap before handling foods and eating, and after going to the bathroom, changing diapers, and handling animals. Make sure infected individuals wash their hands frequently to reduce the spread of infection. Drink water only from treated municipal water supplies.
Some drugs (antiparasitic drugs) are designed particularly to eliminate parasites or, in the case of some worm infections, reduce the number of worms enough so that symptoms clear up. Also, certain antibiotics and antifungal drugs are effective against some parasitic infections.
There are three main classes of parasites that can cause disease in humans: protozoa, helminths, and ectoparasites.
In order to optimize and facilitate the diagnostics of blood parasites, a concentration technique was developed for application in parasitology research, the buffy coat method (BCM). The method is based on blood centrifugation and the resulting separation of blood cells and parasites in different layers [45].
Helminths can be recognized in ultrasound images by their morphology, size, and location. In some cases, the parasites are not directly seen by ultrasound, but the lesions caused by them can be easily visualized. Ultrasound imaging is taking on an increasingly important role in veterinary parasitology.
An ova and parasite test looks for parasites and their eggs (ova) in a sample of your stool. A parasite is a tiny plant or animal that gets nutrients by living off another creature. Parasites can live in your digestive system and cause illness. These are known as intestinal parasites.