KAFKAS UNIVERSITESI VETERINER FAKULTESI DERGISI, cilt.18, 2012 (SCI-Expanded)
Feconomics (R) is a new ready-to-use kit for fecal concentration that eliminates the need for centrifugation and floatation by using absorbent beads. To assess its efficacy in the diagnosis of intestinal parasites, a comparative, double-blind study was conducted in the Parasitology Laboratory of Celal Bayar University Medical School. Stools (Group I, n=251) submitted for routine ova and parasite examination were concentrated with both routine formalin ethyl acetate concentration (FEAC) technique and Feconomics (R). Since the number of helminthes identified in the stool samples of patients were very low, helminthes obtained from the animal models in the laboratory were included (Group II, n=11). The iodine-stained samples of all stools and some of the positive samples stained with Gomori's trichrome and Kinyoun's acid fast stain were read by specialists. In Group I, 103 of 251 (41.04%) samples were found to be positive for one or more intestinal parasites; among them, 76(30.28%) and 96(38.25%) stools were found to be positive with FEAC and Feconomics (R), respectively, and the difference was significant (P=0.000). Same parasites were identified with both methods among all 11 samples in Group II. There was no difference between the methods for the morphological integrity and visual appearances of the parasites having cyst or egg forms; yet, it was noticed that the vegetative forms of the parasites were only identified with Feconomics (R). Review of our data indicated that Feconomics (R) may be suggested as a fast and effective fecal concentration method for Parasitology laboratories owing to the identification of higher number of parasites compared to FEAC, and parasites with only vegetative forms such as Dientamoeba fragilis.