Table 4.
Comparison of parasite prevalence by simple direct smear, formalin–ether concentration, Boeck and Drbohlav’s Locke–Egg–Serum (LES) medium culture, and agar plate culture
| Parasitic infection | Number of positive (%) from total 263 samples | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple smear | Formalin–ether concentration | LES technique | Agar plate | |
| Helminth | ||||
| Strongyroides stercoralis | 1 (0.4) | 2 (0.8) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (1.5) |
| Opisthorchis viverrini | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.4) | 0 (0.0) | NA |
| Protozoa | ||||
| Blastocystis hominis | 6 (2.3) | 11 (4.2) | 46 (17.5) | NA |
| Giardia lamblia | 1 (0.4) | 2 (0.8) | 0 (0.0) | NA |
| Entamoeba coli | 7 (2.7) | 8 (3.0) | 6 (2.3) | NA |
| Endolimax nana | 8 (3.0) | 8 (3.0) | 9 (3.4) | NA |
| Entamoeba histolytica/dispar | 2 (0.8) | 2 (0.8) | 2 (0.8) | NA |
| Total | 25 (9.5) | 34 (12.9) | 63 (24.0) | 4 (1.5) |
NA = not applicable.