Assessing morphological preservation of gastrointestinal parasites from fecal samples of wild capuchin monkeys (Cebus imitator) stored in ethanol versus formalin.

ABSTRACT: The copromicroscopic identification of gastrointestinal parasites is a common, cost-effective method vital to understanding host-parasite interactions. However, its efficacy depends on effective preservation of the samples. In this study, we compare the preservation of ethanol and formalin preserved gastrointestinal parasites collected from a wild population of Costa Rican capuchin monkeys (Cebus imitator). Fecal samples were collected, halved, and stored in either 10% formalin or 96% ethanol at ambient temperature, then microscopically screened for the presence of parasites. Parasites were morphologically identified and rated based on their preservation using a newly developed rubric. We identified more parasitic morphotypes in formalin-preserved samples but found no difference in the num

SUBMITTER: Hass JK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10864282 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature