A New Method to Detect Strongyloides Stercoralis from Human Stool

A new method for the detection of Strongyloides larvae was established. A small amount of stool was placed in the center of an agar plate and was incubated at 37•Ž for 24 hr. Characteristically aligned bacterial colonies or furrows left by crawling Strongyloides larvae appeared on the agar surface are the positive findings. The larvae gathered in a well made on positive plate were identified. By using this method, Strongyloides was detected in 46 cases (4.5%) out of 1,017 healthy adults. Whereas, it was detected in 0 and 3 cases (0 and 0.3%) by direct stool smear method and filter paper technique, respectively. Examination of 246 cases by this agar plate method and formalinether method (MGL) revealed that 14 cases (5.7%) were positive by the former and 2 cases (0.8%) by the latter. Agar plate method is not laborious nor expensive, and recommendable for mass examination and for the detection of asymptomatic carriers.