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The Mini-FLOTAC technique for the diagnosis of helminth and protozoan infections in humans and animals

Nature Protocols volume 12, pages 1723–1732 (2017)Cite this article

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Abstract

This protocol is an extension to: Nat. Protoc. 5, 503–515 (2010); doi: 10.1038/nprot.2009.235; published online 25 February 2010

The FLOTAC is a sensitive, accurate, and precise technique for the diagnosis of protozoan and helminth infections in humans and animals. However, it requires centrifugation, and hence might be out of reach in resource-constrained settings. As an extension of the original FLOTAC protocol, this protocol describes the Mini-FLOTAC technique, a logical evolution of FLOTAC conceived to perform multivalent, qualitative, and quantitative diagnosis of helminth and protozoan infections in human and animal feces, and urine. This has been found to be of most use in the processing of large numbers of samples with rapid laboratory workup, and for veterinary applications directly on-farm. In addition to the Mini-FLOTAC apparatus, we describe the use of the Fill-FLOTAC, a closed system used to facilitate the performance of the first four consecutive steps of the Mini-FLOTAC technique: fecal sample collection and weighing, homogenization, filtration, and filling of the Mini-FLOTAC chambers. Processing of an individual sample using this protocol requires ∼12 min.

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Figure 1: Mini-FLOTAC components.
Figure 2
Figure 3: Fill-FLOTAC 2 and Fill-FLOTAC 5.
Figure 4: The Mini-FLOTAC apparatus being analyzed under a microscope.
Figure 5

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Acknowledgements

G.C. acknowledges G. and M. Federico for their technical expertise and their enthusiasm in participating in the development of the Mini-FLOTAC and Fill-FLOTAC apparatuses. G.C. also acknowledges M.E. Morgoglione, M. Santaniello, P. Pepe, D. Ianniello, S. Pennacchio, A. Amadesi, L. Del Prete, R. Vascone, E. Noviello, V. Musella, and M. Parrilla for their participation in the application and validation of the Mini-FLOTAC technique.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, CREMOPAR, Naples, Italy

    Giuseppe Cringoli, Maria P Maurelli, Antonio Bosco & Laura Rinaldi

  2. Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

    Bruno Levecke & Jozef Vercruysse

  3. Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland

    Jürg Utzinger

  4. University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

    Jürg Utzinger

Authors
  1. Giuseppe Cringoli
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  2. Maria P Maurelli
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  3. Bruno Levecke
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  4. Antonio Bosco
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  5. Jozef Vercruysse
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  6. Jürg Utzinger
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  7. Laura Rinaldi
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Contributions

G.C. invented the Mini-FLOTAC and the Fill-FLOTAC devices and developed the Mini-FLOTAC technique; M.P.M., B.L., A.B., J.V., J.U., and L.R. participated in the application and validation of the technique in the medical and veterinary fields. All authors read, revised, and approved the final submitted paper.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Laura Rinaldi.

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Competing interests

The Mini-FLOTAC and Fill-FLOTAC devices have been developed by and are patented by G. Cringoli, but the patent will be handed over to the University of Naples ‘Federico II’. At present, the Mini-FLOTAC technique is being further validated by different research groups focusing on human and veterinary parasitology. The fact that one of the authors is the current patent holder of the Mini-FLOTAC technique had no role in the preparation and submission of the protocols reported or the design and implementation of ongoing and future studies. To obtain Mini-FLOTAC or Fill-FLOTAC devices, a contribution is required that is used only to (i) cover costs of production and packaging, and (ii) contribute to the ongoing FLOTAC research. The remaining authors have no competing financial interests.

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Cringoli, G., Maurelli, M., Levecke, B. et al. The Mini-FLOTAC technique for the diagnosis of helminth and protozoan infections in humans and animals. Nat Protoc 12, 1723–1732 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nprot.2017.067

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