A Review on Parasitological, Immunological and Molecular Methods for ‎Diagnosis of Human Strongyloidiasis

Strongyloidiasis caused by intestinal nematode Strongyloides stercoralis may leads to hyperinfection syndrome and disseminated infections. If not diagnosed and treated properly, it may even end to the death of patients. Sensitivity of parasitological methods is not good enough and multiple stool sampling over consecutive days is essential to improve the detection rate. The agar plate culture method has been recognized as being more sensitive than other techniques in the detection of S. stercoralis in fecal samples. Serological tests have demonstrated higher sensitivity, but low specificity, because of cross-reactivity with other helminthes. They are also not helpful for treatment follow up, as they cannot differentiate new and old infections. Recently, some PCR-based techniques have been developed for detection of S. stercoralis with high sensitivity and specificity. These methods are rapid but expensive and need well-equipped laboratories. In this paper, conventional and novel methods for laboratory diagnosis of strongyloidiasis are reviewed.