Schistosoma haematobium – Urine

Consistent with O. Reg. 671/92 of the French Language Services Act, laboratory testing information on this page is only available in English because it is scientific or technical in nature and is for use only by qualified health care providers and not by members of the public.

*Uncontrolled print copy. Valid only on day of print: 01 May 2024.

Specimen Collection and Handling

Specimen Requirements

Test Requested	Required Requisition(s)	Specimen Type	Minimum Volume	Collection Kit
Ova and parasites¹	General Test Requisition	Urine⁴	30 ml	Sterile container

Submission and Collection Notes

The suspected organism may be included under the ‘Test Description’.

Please note on the requisition (under other): If the patient has Eosinophilia, HIV, is immunocompromised, has a critical illness or was admitted to ICU, or had a previous parasitic infection.

Indicate Country/Region and if the patient is a new immigrant or refugee or returned traveler under ‘Travel’ section of the requisition. It is imperative that the foreign country be identified.

Urine collected at midday, on three (3) consecutive days.

Timing of Specimen Collection

Collect specimens 2 hours before and after midday as numbers of ova excreted peak at that time. Preferably collect the last portion voided.

Limitations

Anti-diarrhoeal medication, radiological dyes (barium) and antibiotics interfere with the identification of intestinal protozoa as well as helminths and coccidians.

Storage and Transport

Label the specimen container with the patient’s full name, date of collection and one other unique identifier such as the patient’s date of birth or Health Card Number. Failure to provide this information may result in rejection or testing delay.

Place specimen container in a biohazard bag and seal. Store specimen at room temperature prior to shipping to PHO laboratory.

Requisitions and Kit Ordering

Test Frequency and Turnaround Time (TAT)

Schistosoma haematobium – Urine specimen testing turnaround time is up to 2 days from receipt by the PHO laboratory.

Test Methods

Schistosoma haematobium specimens are examined by microscopy for eggs following centrifugation. The sedimentation method allows for detection of small numbers of organisms.