Copro-culture

Objective

• Identification of parasite

• A definitive diagnosis of disease/organism
• For experimental purpose

Principle

• Provision of suitable conditions for the hatching of helminths eggs 

• Larval development of the infective third stage (L3)

Material needed

• Water
• Fecal sample
• Jars, containers, culture plates
• Charcoal / dried, sterile bovine feces
• To use bovine feces heat to 70°C.

1. This will sterilize the feces and removes any helminth eggs 
2. Ground to a fine powder

• Incubator
• Antimycotic antibacterial solution

Procedure

• Break up feces in a container a spatula or other stirring device.
• Feces should be moist and crumbly.
• If the feces are too dry add water until the correct consistency is obtained.
• If the feces are too wet, add charcoal or sterile bovine feces until the correct consistency is obtained.
• Transfer the mixture to jars or containers
• Temperature 
• At room temperature 10-20 days
• Incubator @ 27oC 7 days
• Stirring and addition of water approximately every 1-2 days.
• The larvae are recovered by the Baermann technique.
• The fecal jar can be placed upside down.