A TRIPLE IMMUNOCHROMATOGRAPHIC ASSAY AS COMPARED WITH MICROSCOPY TO DIAGNOSE INTESTINAL PROTOZOA IN SOHAG GOVERNORATE, EGYPT

Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia duodenalis, and Cryptosporidium parvum are among the mostsignificant human protozoal parasites causing diarrhoea and abdominal pain as the main clinicalsymptoms. This is a cross-sectional prospective study to evaluate immunochromatographic testing(ICT) and traditional microscopy in identifying intestinal protozoa affecting school-children.One hundred stool samples were collected from children suffering from diarrhoea and abdominalpain. Samples were examined microscopically using concentration and staining techniques versusRIDA®QUICK C. parvum/G. duodenalis and E. histolytica/dispar Combi rapid immunochromatographictest dipstick for coproantigen detection. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, 7 NPV ofICT for G. duodenalis were 100% with CI (91.1-100%), 96.6% with CI (88.5-99.1%), 95.2%,and 100%, respectively, with an accuracy of 98%, Kappa (0.96, CI 0.91-1.0), and McNemar testwas 0.5. Those of C. parvum were 100% with CI (89.3-100%), 98.5% with CI (92.1-99.7%),96.9%, and 100%, respectively, with an accuracy of 99%. Kappa (0.98, CI0.94-1.0), and Mc-Nemar test was 1.0. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of ICT for histolytica/E. disparwere 100% with CI (87.9-100%), 97.2% with CI (90.4-99.2%), 93.3%, and 100%, respectively,with an accuracy of 98%, Kappa (0.95, CI 0.89-1.0), and McNemar test was 0.5.