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ABC series on diagnostic parasitology part 3: the Baermann technique
Abstract
Diagnosis of parasitic larval forms is typically associated with complex, costly methods. As such, simple, low-cost diagnostic tools for larvae identification are of the utmost importance in diagnostic parasitology in the veterinary clinic. Herewith we describe the Baermann technique, one of the most used larvae identification methods.
The Baermann technique is a simple, low-cost diagnostic tool for diagnosis of parasitic larval forms, that parasitologists, health and veterinary personnel rely on. Historically, this technique is derived from attempts to identify nematodes from the soil, and relies on the fact that these parasites are aquatic animals and that almost all are mobile (Webster et al, 2008). In 1917, while working in Java, the Dutch physician Baermann devised a simple method of isolating nematodes, including infective hookworm larvae, from soil. It became known as the Baermann funnel technique, or Baermann technique (Baermann, 1917). Dr Baermann discovered, by putting soil in a muslin bag and into a funnel filled with water for several hours, that nematodes tended to migrate downwards out of the soil and through the muslin, and then could be seen in the water at the stemend of the funnel. Despite the fact that this was ground-breaking, Baermann´s discovery presented a drawback, with the water resulting from this method being often murky (as a result of the leaching of pigments and particles of small diameter through the muslin) (Webster et al, 2008). This has led to several modifications in the methodology.
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