Authors
Jasmine Coppens, Jean-Marc Schwob, Karin Van Looveren, Jolien Baeyens, Marjan Van Esbroeck
Published in
Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology. Volume 16. Pages 1816447. Epub Oct 07, 2026.
Abstract
Molecular diagnostics have improved infectious disease detection, yet their role in parasitology remains nuanced.
We compared the performance of the AMPLIQUICK®Fecal Parasitology assay with the conventional methods encompassing microscopy, antigen testing and in-house PCR testing, in a reference laboratory for parasitology in a travel clinic. The detection of protozoa, helminths, and microsporidia was evaluated on 107 stool samples from 99 patients with suspected gastrointestinal parasitic infections, of which 40 specimens were tested retrospectively and 67 were collected prospectively.
AMPLIQUICK® demonstrated high accuracy for protozoa and microsporidia (94.6%, 35/37) detecting all Entamoeba histolytica, Entamoeba dispar, most Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp., and all Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Encephalitozoon spp. The assay detected more Dientamoeba fragilis (24 vs. 12) and Blastocystis sp. (61 vs. 44) than the conventional method but the correctness of these results could not be established. AMPLIQUICK® reliably detected most clinically relevant helminths, including Ascaris lumbricoides, Strongyloides spp., Hymenolepis nana, Taenia spp., and Enterobius vermicularis. Hookworms, Trichuris trichiura, Schistosoma mansoni, Heterophyidae/Opisthorchidae and Trichostrongylus spp. were occasionally missed.
AMPLIQUICK® demonstrated good performance compared to the conventional methods and has the potential to improve parasitology diagnostics, particularly in laboratories with limited expertise. Clinicians should interpret findings in the patient's clinical context.
PMID:
42908692
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 23 Oct 2026.
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