2.6. Faecal testing for intestinal parasites and occult blood

Faecal samples were analysed by wet-mount faecal microscopy with and without iodine staining in the field to identify visible gastrointestinal parasites or parasite ova, including human whipworm (Trichuris trichiura), hookworm (Ancylostoma duodenale), giant roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides), and amebiasis (Entamoeba histolytica). A subset of stored, frozen fecal samples (n=84) were later thawed on ice and screened for occult blood using the Hemosure test (Hemosure, USA), a qualitative immunochemical test that detects human haemoglobin in stool samples, according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Positive and negative control samples were processed in parallel.