Abstract
Microscopy is the gold standard for the diagnosis of gastrointestinal parasites but is time-consuming and dependent on operator skills. Rapid diagnostic tests represent alternative methods but most evaluations have been conducted on a limited number of samples preventing their implementation in the clinical setting. We evaluated a new CE-IVD marked immunochromatographic assay (Crypto/Giardia K-SeT®, Coris Bioconcept) for the detection of G. intestinalis and Cryptosporidium spp. in 2 phases (retrospective and prospective) on a set of 482 stool samples including rare Cryptosporidium species. Besides G. intestinalis, this test could represent a rapid and reliable alternative to the modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining for the diagnosis of cryptosporidiosis (sensitivity/specificity were 89.2%/99.3% and 86.7%/100% for G. intestinalis and Cryptosporidium resp.), reducing diagnostic delays. Such strategy would also be time-saving by avoiding wet mount microscopy and concentrations steps, being particularly appropriate for laboratories having little expertise in microscopy or not able to implement molecular diagnostic methods.