An Evaluation on the Efficacy of Agar Plate Culture for Detection of Strongyloides stercoralis

Background: Strongyloides stercoralis is a common parasitic nematode in Iran, especially in north of the country. The early diagnosis and treatment of S. stercoralis is crucial to prevent complicated cases of strongyloidiasis. The value of the preference of agar plate culture, in detection of S. stercoralis compared to formalin ether concentration method, reported in different studies in the world is variable from 1.6 to 6 times. Therefore, the current study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of agar plate on some isolates from north of Iran. Methods: Nine hundred stool samples were randomly collected from rural areas of Mazandaran Province, northern Iran. All samples were examined by agar plate culture, formalin ether concentration and direct smear. Results: Agar plate was 2 times superior to formalin ether; however, it showed some false negative results, too. The direct method could only detect cases of hyperinfection strongyloidosis. Conclusion: On the whole, combination of agar plate culture and formalin ether concentration is recommended to obtain higher efficacy.