Table 1.

Formula to calculate the time to quantify soil-transmitted helminth and Schistosoma mansoni eggs in stool based

	Individual samples (n = 360)	Pooled samples
		Pool size of 5 (n = 72)	Pool size of 10 (n = 36)	Pool size of 20 (n = 18)
Pooling stool samples	_	72 x mean time to make one pool of 5	72 x mean time to make one pool of 5 + 36 x mean time to make one pool of 10	72 x mean time to make one pool of 5 + 36 x mean time to make one pool of 10 + 18 x mean time to make one pool of 20
Preparing of KK smears	+36 x mean time to prepare 10 KK thick smears	+ 7.2. x mean time to prepare 10 KK thick smears	+ 3.6 x mean time to prepare 10 KK thick smears	+ 1.8 x mean time to prepare 10 KK thick smears
Examining of KK smears	+ Total time required to examine 360 KK thick smears of 360 individual stool samples	+ Total time required to examine 72 KK thick smears of 72 pools of 5	+ Total time required to examine 36 KK thick smears of 36 pools of 10	+ Total time required to examine 18 KK thick smears of 18 pools

KK Kato-Katz