Type of Specimen
Serology
- Serum, CSF and plasma should be collected in 2.0 mL microtubes, stored at 4⁰C and shipped either on ice pack or dry ice.
- Heparinized blood should be collected in green-capped tubes, stored at 4⁰C and shipped on ice pack.
| Diseases | Type of Specimen | Volume Required |
|---|---|---|
| American trypanosomiasis | Serum | 1 mL |
| Amoebiasis | Serum | 1 mL |
| Babesiosis | Serum | 1 mL |
| Baylisascaris infection | Serum | 1 mL |
| Echinococcus | Serum | 1 mL |
| Fascioliasis | Serum | 1 mL |
| Filariasis | Serum | 1 mL |
| Gnathostomiasis | Serum | 1 mL |
| Leishmaniasis | Serum | 1 mL |
| Malaria | Serum | 1 mL |
| Paragonimiasis | Serum | 1 mL |
| Schistosomiasis | Serum | 1 mL |
| Strongyloidiasis | Serum | 1 mL |
| Toxocariasis | Serum | 1 mL |
| Trichinosis | Serum | 1 mL |
| Filariasis (Wuchereria bancrofti) | Serum, Plasma, Heparinized Blood | 1 mL |
| African trypanosomiasis Cysticercosis |
Serum, CSF | 1 mL |
PCR
- For PCR testing, only EDTA blood (lavender-capped tubes) is acceptable. Blood collected in heparin tubes (green-capped tubes) will be rejected.
- For information on procedures for Leishmania biopsy sampling, click on the PDF
| Diseases | Type of Specimen (Volume Required) | Handling Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| American trypanosomiasis Babesiosis Malaria |
EDTA blood (4 mL) | Stored at 4⁰C and shipped on ice pack. |
| African trypanosomiasis | EDTA blood (4 mL) CSF (1 mL) |
Stored at 4⁰C and shipped on ice pack. |
| Cysticercosis | Biopsy (0.5 g) CSF (1 mL) |
Stored at 4⁰C and shipped on ice pack. |
| Echinococcus | Biopsy (0.5 g) Abcess fluid (1 mL) |
Stored at 4⁰C and shipped on ice pack. |
| Amoebiasis | Faecal sample-without SAF (1 g) | Stored at -20⁰C and shipped on dry ice |
| Leishmaniasis | EDTA blood (4 mL) Biopsy (0.5 g) Lesion scraping , Aspirate (variable) |
MUST be stored and shipped at Room Temperature. |
| Toxoplasmosis | EDTA blood,
pleural fluid, CSF (4 mL) vitreous fluid, amniotic fluid (1 mL) |
Stored at 4⁰C and shipped on ice pack. Must not be frozen. |
Other Tests
- For lateral flow and culture tests, all specimen MUST be stored and shipped at Room Temperature.
- For information on procedures for Leishmania biopsy sampling, click on the PDF.
| Diseases | Type of Specimen | Volume Required |
|---|---|---|
| Cryptosporidiosis lateral flow Giardiasis lateral flow |
Faecal sample (with SAF) | 5 mL |
| Leishmaniasis culture | Biopsy, Aspirate, Lesion scraping |
Please request growth media before collecting sample. |
© 2016 National Reference Centre for Parasitology, All Rights Reserved.