Comparison of the direct faecal smear and two thick smear techniques for the diagnosis of intestinal parasitic infections

Among 547 health centre patients in Burundi, the diagnostic performance of a glass coverslip modification of the Kato thick smear technique was compared with the combination of direct slide examination and the quick Kato-Katz method, currently recommended in basic health services, for the diagnosis of intestinal parasitic infections. The classical Kato-Katz method performed best for the diagnosis of common helminth infections, especially in combination with direct examination. For the diagnosis of protozoa, both trophozoites and cysts, the direct slide examination was superior to the glass coverslip technique. Despite its being a single and easy procedure, the glass coverslip technique could not be recommended as the method of choice for the diagnosis of intestinal parasites in basic health services.