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Diagnostic techniques in medical parasitology
85 References Fletcher, M., Woodruff, D. S., Loverde, P. T. & As&, H. L. (1980). Genetic differentiation between Sch&osonia
mahmgi and S. j@onicum:an electrophoreticstudy.
Malacological Review, Suppl.2, The Mekmtg Schiswsome, 113-122. Moloney, N. A., Bickle, Q. D. & Webbe, G. (1985a). The
induction of specificimmunity sgainstSchiswsoma japo-
n&n by exposure of mice to ultraviolet attenuated cercariae. Parasi~logy, 90, 313-323. Moloney, N. A., Garcia, E. G. & Webbe, G. (1985b). The
1 BookReview
1
Diagmstic Techniques in Medical Parasitology. S. L. Fleck and A. H. Moody. London: John Wright
(Butterworth & Co.), 1988. 135 pp., illus. Paperback, price !Z15. ISBN &7236-077&l. It is often claimed that medical parasitology is poorly taught in British medical schools, possibly because of the mistaken belief that human parasites are confined to the tropics and ignoring the existence All the more reasonwhy of travellers and mts. ’ British diagnostic laboratories should be able to diagnose such infections in specimens sent to them. Based on their exoerience over the last lo-15 years at the London H&pital for Tropical Diseases, the authors of this concise manual have tried to encapsulate sufficient information to allow any diagnostic laboratory to perform this task in Britain or elsewhere. The approach is essentially practical. Three chapters describe parasitological techniques that the authors have used to examine biopsies and other specimens, including faeces, blood and other body fluids, for protozoa and helminths, aswell as methods for examining water samples for certain free-living amoebaethat sometimesinfect man. Another chapter deals with ectoparasitic arthropods. The f&l chapter discusses briefly the availability and limitations of serodiagnostic techniques, about the value of which the authors clearly have some reservations. Detailed recipes are given for a wide variety of reagents and culture media, plus a list of British suppliers. Instructions on their use are mostly clear, although I found the section on cultivating amoebae (pp. 4-8)
somewhat confusing.
To assist in the
actual diagnosis, there are textual descriptions and tables of dimensions and key features of the parasites likely to be found in the different samples, supplemented with line drawings and mostly clear (apart from Fig. 2.3~) photographs (black and white except for two pages of blood protozoa). Methods are also described for making permanent preparations to build up a reference collection. The rather scant treatment
strain specificity of vaccination with ultra violet attenuated cercariae of the Chinese strain of Schistosoma japonicum. Transactionsof the Royal Sociey of Tropical
McdicineandH.
79, 245-247.
Moloney, N. A., 7 ebbe, G. & Hinchcliffe, P. (1987). The induftios of species-speci& immunity againstSctitos~
malapomcumby exposureof rats to ultra-violet anenuated cercariae.Parasitdoy, 94, 49-54.
Received 21 June 1988; accepted August 1988
for publication 10
of quantitative counting methods reflects, perhaps, the limitation of the authors’ experience to diagnostic work within the United Kingdom. Chapter one rightly warns that safety precautions are necessary when handling material containing human pathogens, either infectious parasites or tissues and body fluids contaminated with highly infectious bacteria or viruses. It also emphasizesthe correct use of the microscope, stressing the importance of measurementsfor diagnosis. Why, then, do the authors omit any indication of size on their illustrations? The uninitiated might be misled by Fig. 2.8 into thinking that the eggsof Schistosoma mansoni and Enterobius are about the same size, unless they wade through tables 2*5,2*6 and 2.7. The inclusion of faecalartifacts is useful but Fig. 2.9~ looks more like a coiled plant xylem fibre than a muscle fibre to me. The tail of Wuchereria batmofti microbe should be blunt, not pointed as shown in Fig. 3.5, and that of Mattsonella (Dipetalonema)stre~tocercais more coiled than shown in Fig. 4.6. The provenance of the Onchocercavolvulus nodule in Fig. 4.7 would be interesting. The authors deliberately omitted parasite lifecycles, giving instead brief textual explanations of why particular stagesoccur where they do. There is a 5-page glossary of terms used, but it is by no means complete. ‘Trypanosomes, trypomastigotes, epimastigotes and amastigotes’ appear on pages 65-67, but only amastigote appears in the glossary. Readers unfamiliar with nematode anatomy will not find Figs 2*7a& b very helpful. It is true that there are excellent parasitological textbooks available but, as the authors point out, diagnostic laboratories probably cannot afford an extensive and up to date reference library. As a relatively cheap manual/just over llp a page-based on real experience, this book is good value for people or laboratories interested in practical aspects of diagnostic parasitology. It is, with the exceptions noted, well produced and fits, literally, into a lab coat pocket. Perhaps though, this edition should be used in conjunction with an up to date, standard textbook to ensure complete accuracy. R. F. Sturrock
mahmgi and S. j@onicum:an electrophoreticstudy.
Malacological Review, Suppl.2, The Mekmtg Schiswsome, 113-122. Moloney, N. A., Bickle, Q. D. & Webbe, G. (1985a). The
induction of specificimmunity sgainstSchiswsoma japo-
n&n by exposure of mice to ultraviolet attenuated cercariae. Parasi~logy, 90, 313-323. Moloney, N. A., Garcia, E. G. & Webbe, G. (1985b). The
1 BookReview
1
Diagmstic Techniques in Medical Parasitology. S. L. Fleck and A. H. Moody. London: John Wright
(Butterworth & Co.), 1988. 135 pp., illus. Paperback, price !Z15. ISBN &7236-077&l. It is often claimed that medical parasitology is poorly taught in British medical schools, possibly because of the mistaken belief that human parasites are confined to the tropics and ignoring the existence All the more reasonwhy of travellers and mts. ’ British diagnostic laboratories should be able to diagnose such infections in specimens sent to them. Based on their exoerience over the last lo-15 years at the London H&pital for Tropical Diseases, the authors of this concise manual have tried to encapsulate sufficient information to allow any diagnostic laboratory to perform this task in Britain or elsewhere. The approach is essentially practical. Three chapters describe parasitological techniques that the authors have used to examine biopsies and other specimens, including faeces, blood and other body fluids, for protozoa and helminths, aswell as methods for examining water samples for certain free-living amoebaethat sometimesinfect man. Another chapter deals with ectoparasitic arthropods. The f&l chapter discusses briefly the availability and limitations of serodiagnostic techniques, about the value of which the authors clearly have some reservations. Detailed recipes are given for a wide variety of reagents and culture media, plus a list of British suppliers. Instructions on their use are mostly clear, although I found the section on cultivating amoebae (pp. 4-8)
somewhat confusing.
To assist in the
actual diagnosis, there are textual descriptions and tables of dimensions and key features of the parasites likely to be found in the different samples, supplemented with line drawings and mostly clear (apart from Fig. 2.3~) photographs (black and white except for two pages of blood protozoa). Methods are also described for making permanent preparations to build up a reference collection. The rather scant treatment
strain specificity of vaccination with ultra violet attenuated cercariae of the Chinese strain of Schistosoma japonicum. Transactionsof the Royal Sociey of Tropical
McdicineandH.
79, 245-247.
Moloney, N. A., 7 ebbe, G. & Hinchcliffe, P. (1987). The induftios of species-speci& immunity againstSctitos~
malapomcumby exposureof rats to ultra-violet anenuated cercariae.Parasitdoy, 94, 49-54.
Received 21 June 1988; accepted August 1988
for publication 10
of quantitative counting methods reflects, perhaps, the limitation of the authors’ experience to diagnostic work within the United Kingdom. Chapter one rightly warns that safety precautions are necessary when handling material containing human pathogens, either infectious parasites or tissues and body fluids contaminated with highly infectious bacteria or viruses. It also emphasizesthe correct use of the microscope, stressing the importance of measurementsfor diagnosis. Why, then, do the authors omit any indication of size on their illustrations? The uninitiated might be misled by Fig. 2.8 into thinking that the eggsof Schistosoma mansoni and Enterobius are about the same size, unless they wade through tables 2*5,2*6 and 2.7. The inclusion of faecalartifacts is useful but Fig. 2.9~ looks more like a coiled plant xylem fibre than a muscle fibre to me. The tail of Wuchereria batmofti microbe should be blunt, not pointed as shown in Fig. 3.5, and that of Mattsonella (Dipetalonema)stre~tocercais more coiled than shown in Fig. 4.6. The provenance of the Onchocercavolvulus nodule in Fig. 4.7 would be interesting. The authors deliberately omitted parasite lifecycles, giving instead brief textual explanations of why particular stagesoccur where they do. There is a 5-page glossary of terms used, but it is by no means complete. ‘Trypanosomes, trypomastigotes, epimastigotes and amastigotes’ appear on pages 65-67, but only amastigote appears in the glossary. Readers unfamiliar with nematode anatomy will not find Figs 2*7a& b very helpful. It is true that there are excellent parasitological textbooks available but, as the authors point out, diagnostic laboratories probably cannot afford an extensive and up to date reference library. As a relatively cheap manual/just over llp a page-based on real experience, this book is good value for people or laboratories interested in practical aspects of diagnostic parasitology. It is, with the exceptions noted, well produced and fits, literally, into a lab coat pocket. Perhaps though, this edition should be used in conjunction with an up to date, standard textbook to ensure complete accuracy. R. F. Sturrock