Informational Tables

- 1.1 Parasite Classification | - 1.2 Body Site, Specimens, Procedures, Parasites, Comments | - 1.3 STAT Testing in Parasitology | - 1.4 Test Issues and Reports: Computer Report Comments| - 1.5 Rapid Diagnostic Testing
- 2.1 Stool Testing Order Recommendations | - 2.2 Fecal specimens for parasites: options for collection and processinga² | - 2.3 Preservatives used for Stool Specimens
- 3.1 Body Sites and Specimen Collection | - 3.2 Body sites and the most common parasites recovered | - 3.3 Body Site, Specimens and Recommended Stain | - 3.4 Examination of tissues and body fluids | - 3.5 Parasitic Infections: Clinical Findings Healthy/Compromised Hosts | - 3.6 Microscope Calibration | - 3.7 Serologic, Antigen, and Probe Tests for Parasite Diagnosis
- 4.1 Protozoa: Intestinal Tract, Urogenital System: Key Characteristics | - 4.2 Tissue Protozoa: Characteristics | - 4.3 Tips on Performance of Fecal Immunoassays for Intestinal Protozoa
5.1 Helminths: Key Characteristics | 5.2 Helminth Parasites Associated with Eosinophilia
6.1 Reference Laboratory for Parasite Blood Testing | 6.2 Parasites Found in Blood: Characteristics
7.1 Malaria (5 Species) (2 P. ovale subspecies) | 7.2 Malaria (5 Species, Images) | 7.3 Rapid Malaria Testing (BinaxNOW Malaria Test) | 7.4 Malaria Parasitemia Method | 7.5 Malaria Parasitemia Interpretation
- USE OF A REFERENCE LABORATORY FOR PARASITE BLOOD DIAGNOSTIC TESTING (Including the Binax Rapid Test and Report Comments)
- HELMINTH PARASITES ASSOCIATED WITH EOSINOPHILIA | - Histology: Staining Characteristics - Table 1 | - Histological Identification of Parasites - Table 2 | - Microscope Calibration | - Figures for Histology Identification Table 2 |

Malaria characteristics with fresh blood or blood collected using EDTA with no extended lag time (preparation of thick and thin blood films within < 60 min of collection)

Plasmodium vivax(benign tertian malaria)

1. 48-hour cycle

2. Tends to infect young cells

3. Enlarged RBCs

4. Schüffner's dots (true stippling) after 8-10 hours

5. Delicate ring

6. Very ameboid trophozoite

7. Mature schizont contains 12-24 merozoites

Plasmodium malariae(quartan malaria)

1. 72-hour cycle (long incubation period)

2. Tends to infect old cells

3. Normal size RBCs

4. No stippling

5. Thick ring, large nucleus

6. Trophozoite tends to form "bands" across the cell

7. Mature schizont contains 6-12 merozoites

Plasmodium ovale (P. o. wallikeri, P. o. curtisi)

1. 48-hour cycle

2. Tends to infect young cells

3. Enlarged RBCs with fimbriated edges (oval); usually one end of RBC only – different from crenated RBCs

4. Schüffner's dots appear in the beginning (in RBCs with very young ring forms in contrast to P.vivax)

5. Smaller ring than P. vivax

6. Trophozoite less ameboid than that of P. vivax

7. Mature schizont contains average 8 merozoites

Plasmodium falciparum (malignant tertian malaria)

1. 36-48-hour cycle

2. Tends to infect any cell regardless of age, thus very heavy infection may result

3. All sizes of RBCs

4. No Schüffner's dots (Maurer's dots: may be larger, single dots, bluish)

5. Multiple rings/cell (only young rings, gametocytes, and occasional mature schizonts are seen in peripheral blood)

6. Delicate rings, may have two dots of chromatin/ring, appliqué or accolé forms

7. Crescent-shaped gametocytes

Plasmodium knowlesi (simian malaria)*

1. 24-hour cycle

2. Tends to infect any cell regardless of age, thus very heavy infection may result

3. All sizes of RBCs, but most tend to be normal size

4. No Schüffner’s dots (faint, clumpy dots later in cycle)

5. Multiple rings/cell (may have 2-3)

6. Delicate rings, may have two or three dots of chromatin/ring, appliqué forms

7. Band form trophozoites commonly seen

8. Mature schizont contains 16 merozoites, no rosettes

9. Gametocytes round, tend to fill the cell

*Early stages mimic P. falciparum; later stages mimic P. malariae