ABSTRACT. Objectives: To assess the efficacy of the Kato-Katz technique and to re-evaluate other routine procedures conducted in the Microbiology Clinical Laboratory at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH) and to throw light on the prevalence of intestinal para- sitic infections among a small group of food handlers in Muscat. Method: Faecal samples collected from food handlers were examined using five parasitological techniques. Results: Out of  faecal samples,  were positive for one or more of  intestinal parasites. The Kato- Katz and trichrome stain methods were found superior to the other techniques in detecting helminthic and protozoan infections, respec- tively. The auramine stain was useful only in detecting Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts. Conclusion: A combination of trichrome stain and Kato-Katz techniques for stool examination is sufficient and recommended for busy laboratories; auramine stain should be applied only to samples with suspected cryptosporidal infections.

ABSTRACT. Objectives: To assess the efficacy of the Kato-Katz technique and to re-evaluate other routine procedures conducted in the Microbiology Clinical Laboratory at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH) and to throw light on the prevalence of intestinal para- sitic infections among a small gr...