Comparison of real-time PCR and Kato smear microscopy for the detection of hookworm infections in three consecutive faecal samples from schoolchildren in Ghana

Background The classic technique used to detect hookworm infections in population-based surveys is microscopic examination of Kato thick smears of multiple faecal samples per person as variation in soil-transmitted helminth egg output is common. Methods As an alternative to this time-consuming and logistically difficult procedure, a PCR-based method to detect hookworm infections was evaluated. Faecal samples collected from 65 Ghanaian school children during February-June 2006 were examined using both techniques. Results Thirty-one children with a hookworm infection were detected by Kato examination of three faecal samples compared with 30 children detected by PCR of a single faecal sample and 39 detected by PCR of three faecal samples. Conclusion PCR provides a sensitive alternative to the conventional microscopic detection of hookworm infections.