Examination of stool and urine for the presence of parasitic infection is one of the basic tasks of parasitologist. This training program will provide trainees with extensive practical experiences and raise their skills by application of different methods used to examine stool and urine beside soil samples for the presence of parasitic stages.

1. Understand the principles & precautions needed for sample collection, storage and transportation and waste disposal.  
2. Perform a range of appropriate techniques in the laboratory used for stool, soil and urine analysis.
3. Examine different parasitic stages that may be recovered from stool, soil and urine samples.
4. Use of ocular micrometer for measuring different parasitic stages that may be recovered from stool, urine and soil.
5. Describe important morphological features of recovered parasites.
6. Oriented by the quality assurance during examination of stool, soil and urine parasites.

Importance of the program:

This program is crucial for all parasitologists who need extensive training for future progress in their career

Each subject is introduced with a theoretical session on sample collection, sample storage & transportation, and waste disposal & precautions.  Procedures for selected tests are highlighted.  Practical sessions are performed on selected tests.  Practical work is done through group work.  Practical sessions are concluded by discussions and grading of the best performing group of the day. The trainees will be asked to incorporate in department activity concerning sample examination in research unit under supervision of the responsible staff members. The course outline may be adjusted to correspond with the level of training of participants.

Main topics:

-   Principles & precautions needed for sample collection

-   Storage and transportation of different samples and waste disposal  

-   Different laboratory techniques used for stool, soil and urine analysis

-   Different parasitic stages recovered from stool  samples

-   Different parasitic stages recovered from soil samples

-   Different parasitic stages recovered from urine samples

-   How to describe important morphological features of different recovered parasitic stages & their quantification.

-   Quality assurance during examination of stool, soil and urine parasites.

-   How to write a full report after examination.

The teaching strategy is based on extensive laboratory work. They must use the ocular micrometer for measuring the size of recovered parasitic stages.

During the practical sessions trainees will do all tests that have been taught.  Trainees are divided into groups of two or more according to their number.  At the end of the session test results are compared and problems are discussed. 

Learning Time:

This program depends mainly on training sessions with few theoretical lectures and the learning time is designed as follows;

o    Lecture represents only 5% of the learning time and 50% is for training sessions (contact time is 55%). 

o   35 % is for self-directed training.

o   The remaining 10% is specified for assessment.

Depends mainly on practical achievement