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SAFC Concentration

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Encyclopedia of Parasitology

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This is a method to isolate parasitic stages from feces respectively stools of animals or humans by help of a so-called sodium acetate-acetic acid-formalin solution.

  1. 1.

    Stool sample (1 g) is placed into a tube containing 10 ml of S.A.F.

  2. 2.

    Stool and S.A.F. are intensively mixed by a glass stick.

  3. 3.

    Closed tube is shaken vigorously.

  4. 4.

    Stool is filtered using a funnel with gauze.

  5. 5.

    The tubes are now centrifuged for 1 minute at 2,000 rpm.

  6. 6.

    Supernatant is removed by help of a pipette or cautiously decanted.

  7. 7.

    7 ml saline is added and contents are mixed with a glass stick.

  8. 8.

    3 ml ether has to be added.

  9. 9.

    Tubes are closed with rubber stoppers, well shaken, while fixing firmly the stopper (or closing the vessel by a cover).

  10. 10.

    The cover (or rubber stopper) is removed and the product is centrifuged for 5 min at 2,000 rpm.

  11. 11.

    After centrifugation all three upper layers were decanted and just the sediment is retained and investigated by help of a light microscope (use a cover slip...

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Further Reading

  • Blagg W et al (1955) New concentration technique for demonstration of protozoan and helminth eggs in faeces. Am J Trop Meg Hyg 4:23–28

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  • Marti H, Escher E (1980) SAF – an alternative fixation solution for parasitological stool specimens. Schweiz Med Wochenschr 120:1473–1476

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  • Mehlhorn H et al (1992) Diagnose und Therapie der Parasiten von Haus-, Nutz- und Heimtieren, 2nd edn. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart/New York

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  • Price LD (1981) Comparison of three collection-preservation methods for detection of intestinal parasites. J Clin Microbiol 14:656–660

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Zoomorphologie, Zellbiologie und Parasitologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany

    Heinz Mehlhorn

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  1. Heinz Mehlhorn
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Correspondence to Heinz Mehlhorn .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Zoomorphology and Parasitology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany

    Heinz Mehlhorn

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Mehlhorn, H. (2015). SAFC Concentration. In: Mehlhorn, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Parasitology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27769-6_4310-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27769-6_4310-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27769-6

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