On the use of the Ziehl-Neelsen Technique for Specific Identification of Schistosome Eggs

Abstract

By means of the standard Ziehl-Neelsen staining technique for eggs in tissue sections S. intercalatum can be differentiated from its sibling species S. haematobium, S. mattheei and S. bovis, since only S. intercalatum egg shells stain red.This technique could be of great value in Africa in clinical diagnosis and in determining the geographical limits and host specificity of these schistosomes, which may easily be confused on the basis of egg morphology alone.