Evaluation of Commercial Concentration Methods for Microscopic Diagnosis of Protozoa and Helminths in Human Stool Samples in a Non-Endemic Area

The diagnosis of intestinal parasitic infections still widely relies on microscopic examination of stools and requires reliable reagents and staff expertise. The ParaFlo(®) assays (Eurobio Ingen) are ready-to-use concentration methods for parasite egg detection, and they could improve reagent traceability and ease of manipulation. Ninety-three stool samples were analyzed with the ParaFlo(®) concentration methods and then compared with routine microscopic methods for protozoa and helminth detection: seventy-eight were analyzed with ParaFlo(®) Bailenger and in-house Thebault or Bailenger concentrations, and fifty-five were analyzed with ParaFlo(®)DC and the in-house merthiolate-formalin diphasic concentration (DC) method. Fully concordant results were obtained for 75%, 70%, and 69% of samples when comparing ParaFlo(®) DC and in-house DC, ParaFlo(®) Bailenger and in-house Bailenger, and ParaFlo(®) Bailenger and Thebault, respectively. The performances of the ParaFlo(®) assays did not differ statistically from that obtained with their in-house counterparts (Bailenger and DC) for the detection of protozoa, but ParaFlo(®) Bailenger performed significantly poorer than the Thebault method (p < 0.001). No statistical differences were observed between the commercial and in-house methods for helminth detection. These marketed concentration methods could be used in routine if combined with other techniques for protozoa detection.