Parasitic infections of the gastrointestinal tract and the prevalence of different types of gastrointestinal parasitic infections
There are many different clinical manifestations of parasitic infections of the gastrointestinal tract and the prevalence of different types of gastrointestinal parasitic infections encountered vary by locale. As much as we would like rapid identification of parasitic infections, you should recognize that not all laboratories offer the same types of diagnostic services. Small hospital laboratories may offer limited parasitology, whereas large hospital laboratories and reference laboratories usually offer full parasitology services. Regardless of hospital type, a common diagnostic used to identify parasites is the microscope, but methods used to prepare specimens for microscopic observation may vary. Pick a GI parasite and provide information about: 1) how to collect the specimen for identification