Which specimen is used to diagnose Schistosoma haematobium?

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Multiple Choice

Which specimen is used to diagnose Schistosoma haematobium?

Explanation:
Schistosoma haematobium causes urinary schistosomiasis, so its eggs are shed into the urinary tract and excreted in urine. Because the diagnostic hallmark is finding eggs in urine, examining urine samples is the standard way to confirm infection. The best approach is to collect urine (often midday to late morning when egg excretion peaks), concentrate it, and look under the microscope for eggs that have a distinctive terminal spine. This species is linked to bladder involvement and hematuria, which aligns with why urine is the right specimen. Stool would detect intestinal species like S. mansoni or S. japonicum, while blood testing or CSF are not the primary means of confirming S. haematobium infection.

Schistosoma haematobium causes urinary schistosomiasis, so its eggs are shed into the urinary tract and excreted in urine. Because the diagnostic hallmark is finding eggs in urine, examining urine samples is the standard way to confirm infection. The best approach is to collect urine (often midday to late morning when egg excretion peaks), concentrate it, and look under the microscope for eggs that have a distinctive terminal spine. This species is linked to bladder involvement and hematuria, which aligns with why urine is the right specimen. Stool would detect intestinal species like S. mansoni or S. japonicum, while blood testing or CSF are not the primary means of confirming S. haematobium infection.

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