
Case #353 - August, 2013
A 27-year-old man sought medical assistance for gastrointestinal symptoms that included watery diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fatigue. He reported no international travel within the last year. A fecal specimen was collected in zinc-PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) for ova-and-parasite (O&P) testing. A smear was prepared and stained with trichrome stain. Figures A-C show what was observed in moderately high numbers on the smear. What is your diagnosis? Based on what criteria?

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C
Images presented in the monthly case studies are from specimens submitted for diagnosis or archiving. On rare occasions, clinical histories given may be partly fictitious.
DPDx is an education resource designed for health professionals and laboratory scientists. For an overview including prevention and control visit www.cdc.gov/parasites/.
- Page last reviewed: August 24, 2016
- Page last updated: August 24, 2016
- Content source:
- Global Health – Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria
- Notice: Linking to a non-federal site does not constitute an endorsement by HHS, CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the site.
- Maintained By: