title: Improvement in the identification of intestinal parasites by a concentrated merthiolate-iodine-formaldehyde technique.
abstract: To increase the sensitivity of the merthiolate-iodine formaldehyde (MIF) technique in detecting various stages of intestinal parasites in stool specimens, a concentration step was added before preserving the stool specimen with MIF solution. This step involved mixing the stool specimen in 10% formalin, filtering the mixture through a double-layered cotton filter, and removing most of the liquid content. This modification was evaluated in a large screening program. Its positive identification of 10 helminths and 2 protozoa was comparable to formalin-ethyl acetate (FEA) sedimentation and hookworm eggs were readily recognizable. Although the modified MIF technique requires an overnight drying procedure, only a few simple procedures are involved in the concentrating step. This technique is relatively simple and suitable for large-scale screening programs or epidemiologic studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Chang-Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates; D000818:Animals; D001210:Asia, Southeastern / Q000208:ethnology; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology*; D005557:Formaldehyde; D006376:Helminths / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology; D007455:Iodine; D008403:Mass Screening; D011309:Preservation, Biological; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013624:Taiwan; D013849:Thimerosal
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D005557:Formaldehyde; D013849:Thimerosal; C007650:ethyl acetate; D007455:Iodine