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. 1989 May;27(5):1135–1136. doi: 10.1128/jcm.27.5.1135-1136.1989

Detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts in human fecal specimens by an indirect immunofluorescence assay with monoclonal antibodies.

J Rusnak 1, T L Hadfield 1, M M Rhodes 1, J K Gaines 1
PMCID: PMC267504  PMID: 2663914

Abstract

An indirect fluorescence assay (IFA) with monoclonal antibodies developed for the detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts in fecal smears (Meridian Diagnostics, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio) was compared with the Zeihl-Neelsen-modified acid-fast stain (MAFS) in 119 human fecal specimens collected between 1984 and 1987. The sensitivity of the IFA was 100%; all 56 specimens positive by MAFS exhibited fluorescence. There were 63 specimens negative for Cryptosporidium sp. by MAFS; of these, 61 were negative by IFA (97% specificity). This discrepancy may reflect an increased sensitivity of the IFA to detect oocysts that were not visualized by MAFS because of faint staining or a paucity of organisms. On average, the IFA required less time than the MAFS (1 versus 5 min, respectively) when only rare or few oocysts were present. Cost comparison of reagents showed the IFA to be three times more expensive. The IFA offers a reasonable alternative to the MAFS because of its high sensitivity and specificity, the simplicity of performing it and interpreting results, and its capability of providing a definitive diagnosis of Cryptosporidium oocysts.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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