Specific gravity of Opisthorchis viverrini eggs

The specific gravity of the eggs of the liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrini was determined using a sucrose gradient centrifugation and found to range from 1.2713 to 1.3043. The peak egg count was located at the sucrose fraction with a specific gravity of 1.2814. An attempt to float eggs in saturated sodium nitrate solution, sp.gr. 1.4, failed. Examination of human stool specimens for O. viverrini eggs by simple flotation in saturated sodium nitrate solution and the formol-ether sedimentation technique revealed that the flotation technique was not as efficient as the sedimentation technique. It was suggested that the flotation techniques were inappropriate for the detection of O. viverrini eggs in faeces or contaminated soil.