Diagnostic Procedures
As of 09/01/2023, parasitic disease testing provided by CDC has resumed. Please refer to CDC’s Laboratory Test Directory for additional information on available tests, procedures to submit specimens, and required forms.
Please contact parasiteslab@cdc.gov for information on submitting specimens for diagnostic testing.
Healthcare providers needing assistance with diagnosis or management of suspected cases of parasitic diseases may contact CDC’s Parasitic Diseases Hotline at (404) 718-4745, or parasites@cdc.gov. For information on clinical management of malaria cases, please contact malaria@cdc.gov.
DPDx is an education resource designed for health professionals and laboratory scientists. For an overview including prevention and control visit www.cdc.gov/parasites/.
Please choose from one of the categories below.
- Shipment
- Tissue
- Tissue specimens for free-living amebae
- Isolation of Leishmania organisms
- Sputum
- Aspirates
- Sputum, induced sputum, and bronchoalveolar avage (BAL) for Pneumocystis jirovecii
- Vaginal swabs for diagnosis and susceptibility of Trichomonas
- Cellulose tape or swube tube procedure for demonstration of pinworm eggs
- Urine
- Whole Organisms
Blood Specimens
Malaria
- Preparation of blood smears [PDF, 77 KB]
- Staining for malaria parasites [PDF, 44 KB]
- Laboratory diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum [PDF, 127 KB]
- Laboratory diagnosis of Plasmodium vivax [PDF, 166 KB]
- Laboratory diagnosis of Plasmodium ovale [PDF, 165 KB]
- Laboratory diagnosis of Plasmodium malariae [PDF, 149 KB]
- Calculating percent parasitemia and life cycle of Plasmodium species [PDF, 80 KB]
- Comparison of the Plasmodium Species Which Cause Human Malaria [PDF, 28 KB]
- Plasmodium spp. Blood Stage Parasites, Thick Blood Smears [PDF, 938 KB]
- Plasmodium spp. Blood Stage Parasites, Thin Blood Smears [PDF file: 512 KB]
- Planches pour le Diagnostic microscopique du paludisme [PDF file: 885 KB]
Babesiosis
Filariasis
- Introduction and Characteristics of common human filarial parasites [PDF, 435 KB]
- Plate 1 — Wuchereria bancrofti, Loa loa [PDF, 352 KB]
- Plate 2 — Brugia malayi, Brugia timori [PDF, 467 KB]
- Plate 3 — Mansonella perstans, Mansonella ozzardi [PDF, 598 KB]
- Plate 4 — Techniques, artifacts, oddities [PDF, 545 KB]
- Plate 5 — Onchocerca volvulus, Mansonella streptocerca [PDF, 490 KB]
Stool Specimens
- Key Points for Laboratory Identification of Cyclospora sp., Cryptosporidium sp., and Cystoisospora belli [PDF, 109 KB]
- Key Points for Laboratory Diagnosis of Cyclosporiasis [PDF, 177 KB]
- Key Points for Laboratory Diagnosis of Cystoisosporiasis [PDF, 170 KB]
- Laboratory Diagnosis of Amebiasis [PDF, 131 KB]
- Laboratory Diagnosis of Blastocystis hominis infection [PDF, 72 KB]
- Laboratory Diagnosis of Cryptosporidiosis [PDF, 144 KB]
- Laboratory Diagnosis of Giardiasis [PDF, 93 KB]
DPDx is an educational resource designed for health professionals and laboratory scientists. For an overview including prevention, control, and treatment visit www.cdc.gov/parasites/.