Performances of Mini Parasep® SF stool concentrator kit, Kato-Katz, and formalin-ethyl acetate concentration methods for diagnosis of opisthorchiasis in Northeast Thailand

Kopolrat, K. Y. et al. (2022) Performances of Mini Parasep® SF stool concentrator kit, Kato-Katz, and formalin-ethyl acetate concentration methods for diagnosis of opisthorchiasis in Northeast Thailand. Parasites and Vectors, 15(1), 234. (doi: 10.1186/s13071-022-05338-z) (PMID:35761311) (PMCID:PMC9235228)

Abstract

Background: Control and elimination of the liver fluke (Opisthorchis viverrini) is a primary preventive strategy against cholangiocarcinoma in Southeast Asia. A sensitive parasitological diagnostic method is required to facilitate a surveillance and control program. In this study, we evaluated the performance of Mini Parasep® SF stool concentrator kit (stool kit) compared with Kato-Katz (KK) and the quantitative formalin-ethyl acetate concentration technique (FECT) for detection of O. viverrini and co-endemic parasitic infections. Methods: A cross-sectional survey for parasitic infection in residents aged > 15 years in a community in Kalasin province, Northeast Thailand, was conducted in 2018. Fecal samples were collected and screened by KK method, and a subset of samples was further examined by the stool kit and FECT methods. The results were analyzed for prevalence of parasitic infections in addition to the diagnostic performance of the methods for qualitative and quantitative detection of helminthiases. Results: The initial survey of parasitic infection determined by the KK method (n = 567) showed the prevalence of O. viverrini was 32.63%, followed by Taenia 2.65%, echinostomes 1.76%, hookworms 1.41%, Trichuris trichiura 0.53% and Strongyloides stercoralis 0.53%. Within a subset of samples tested with multiple diagnostics (n = 150), the detection rates of O. viverrini by the stool kit, FECT and KK methods were 27.3%, 30.7% and 28.7%, respectively. The diagnostic sensitivity for opisthorchiasis was similar for FECT (75.5%), KK(66.0%) and the stool kit (67.3%). For other parasitic infections, FECT and stool kit methods performed better than KK, particularly in detecting minute intestinal flukes (MIF), S. stercoralis and coinfections. When measuring the intensity of O. viverrini infection (fecal egg counts), the stool kit results showed a significant positive correlation with KK and FECT (P < 0.05). Conclusions: As the stool kit is simple to use and shows a comparable performance to FECT, it may serve as an alternative method of fecal examination for screening of helminthiasis including opisthorchiasis.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This work described here was supported by the Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, and Fluke-Free Thailand, National Research Council of Thailand. TC is supported by a Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowship. This research was funded in whole, or in part, by the Wellcome Trust (Grant number 215919/Z/19/Z).
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Crellen, Dr Thomas
• Authors: Kopolrat, K. Y., Singthong, S., Khuntikeo, N., Loilome, W., Worasith, C., Homwong, C., Wangboon, C., Yasaka, P., Eamudomkarn, C., Pitaksakulrat, O., Tonkhamhak, K., Paeuo, A., Crellen, T., Sithithaworn, J., and Sithithaworn, P.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
• Journal Name: Parasites and Vectors
• Publisher: BioMed Central
• ISSN: 1756-3305
• ISSN (Online): 1756-3305
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2022 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Parasites and Vectors 15(1):234
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

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