Specimen Requirements

Recommended screening procedure is 3 specimens submitted over a 1 week period. Due to the cyclic shedding of parasites, a fresh-morning specimen is optimal. Do not send more than 1 specimen per day.

Specimen must arrive within 30 minutes of collection.  Specimen must be put in transport media within 1 hour of collection.  

Specimen Type: Stool, fresh morning

Container/Tube: Sterile container with Protofix preservative

Specimen Volume: 1 g

Collection Instructions: Avoid recent antibiotics, X-ray contrast material, antidiarrheal medications, antacids, bismuth, or oil instillation.

Unacceptable Conditions: Formed stool, unpreserved stool, imprperly collected specimens, leaking specimens, multiple specimens within 24 hours, stool specimens containing barium, oil, water, or urine. 

Additional Information: Label container with patient’s name (first, last, and middle initial), medical record number (if appropriate), date of birth and/or Social Security number, date and time of collection, and source of specimen.