Rapid immunoassay for detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts.

A direct immunological method by means of latex agglutination (LX) reaction was applied to the demonstration of Cryptosporidium oocysts from stools and gut homogenates. The LX method gave a positive diagnosis for all the specimens judged positive by the modified Ziehl-Neelsen technique, which served as a reference method, The results of the study indicate that the LX method can be adopted as a diagnostic tool for cryptosporidiosis, but further study concerning the specificity and sensitivity of the method is clearly warranted.