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Strongyloides stercoralis larvae found for the first time in tap water using a novel culture method

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Abstract

Strongyloides stercoralis (S. stercoralis) is a soil-borne helminth but its prevalence in water samples is underestimated. The aim of the present study is to propose non-nutrient agar (NNA) as a novel culture method in the diagnosis of Strongyloides and to detect the prevalence rate of S. stercoralis larvae in tap water samples in Beni-Suef Governorate, Egypt. Eighty tap water samples were collected from Beni-Suef Governorate and each sample was filtered in three steps using three filters: one filter for microscopic examination of wet mount, while the remaining two filters were cultured on both NNA and nutrient agar plate (APC). S. stercoralis larvae, adults, and eggs were detected in two (2.5%) and four (5%) out of 80 samples after examination of wet mount preparation and cultures on both NNA and APC, respectively. NNA succeeded to maintain Strongyloides alive for up to 1 month. Our study is the first to detect Strongyloides larvae in tap water in Egypt and the first to use NNA as a novel culture media for Strongyloides.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology-Medical Parasitology Section, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia

    Ayman A. El-Badry

  2. Department of Medical Parasitology, College of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt

    Doaa A. Hamdy & Wegdan M. Abd El Wahab

Authors
  1. Ayman A. El-Badry
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  2. Doaa A. Hamdy
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  3. Wegdan M. Abd El Wahab
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Correspondence to Wegdan M. Abd El Wahab.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethical approval

This study was ethically approved from the Committee of Research, Publications, and Ethics of the Faculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University.

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Handling Editor: Julia Walochnik

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El-Badry, A.A., Hamdy, D.A. & Abd El Wahab, W.M. Strongyloides stercoralis larvae found for the first time in tap water using a novel culture method. Parasitol Res 117, 3775–3780 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-018-6078-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-018-6078-1

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