Abstract
Intestinal parasitic infections affect approximately 3.5 billion people worldwide, causing significant health and economic burdens, particularly in children. Major parasites include helminths and protozoa such as Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia, and Ascaris lumbricoides. Conventional diagnostic methods such as fecal smear microscopy, formol-ethyl acetate concentration, Kato–Katz thick smear, and cultivation are widely used but have limitations, including low sensitivity, especially in mild infections, dependence on fresh samples, prolonged analysis time, and risk of false negatives due to intermittent parasite excretion. Staining techniques such as Lugol’s iodine and Ziehl–Neelsen improve visualization but require skilled microscopists and are time-consuming. There is a pressing need for rapid, simple, and affordable field-deployable diagnostics. This study evaluates the efficacy of a novel multicolor staining reagent. The new Parasimax Multicolor technique demonstrated greater rapidity in parasite detection and superior image clarity, even in the presence of artifacts. Ova and larvae of parasites appeared in a bright yellowish coloration, allowing for clear distinction from fecal debris and other interfering elements. The mean detection time was 40 seconds, compared to the Lugol technique, which required 2 to 3 minutes. Furthermore, the Parasimax method is amenable to combination with fluorescence microscopy, and additionally permits the evaluation of parasite viability.