Modified flotation method, an effective technique for recovering helminth eggs in soil☆

Abstract There is no established method for recovering helminth eggs in soil has yet to be established. Here, we introduce a novel method for their recovery based on a centrifugal flotation approach using a sucrose solution with a specific gravity of 1.20, with a coverslip being placed on the sucrose-filled centrifuge tube during centrifugation. The recovery of zoonotic Toxocara eggs from soil was more effective when this method was compared with the traditional flotation method. This method detects not only zoonotic Toxocara eggs, but Ascaris lumbricoides , Trichuris trichiura , and other human parasite eggs also, indicating that it can be used for epidemiological studies both in developed and developing countries.