FLOATATION TECHNIQUE

Separating the eggs from faecal debris by floating them on a variety of floatation
solutions such as
o Saturated common salt solution
o Sheather's Sugar solution
o Zinc sulphate solution (32.5%) .

When faeces are emulsified in liquids of high specific gravity than that of eggs
and protozoan cysts, either centrifuged or allowed to stand, these float to the top
while the heavy coarse debris settles to the bottom.

The top film can then be removed and examined. Many nematode and a few
cestode eggs float in a liquid with a specific gravity of between 1.10 and 1.20.
Trematode eggs, which are much heavier, require a specific gravity of 1.30-1.35.

SIMPLE FLOATATION TECHNIQUE

Simple floatation / Wills technique (Figure)

Small floatation tube with emulsion of faeces in the above solutions is filled to its
full capacity till a convex surface is formed and is allowed to stand for 20 to 30
minutes, by which time eggs would have floated up.

Apply a coverslip or slide to the surface to remove the first drop of fluid,
containing eggs and then examine that drop on the slide.

It is worthwhile to remember that almost all cestodes, except the members of

Cotyloda, do not discharge eggs, but gravid segments containing numerous eggs
are shed and passed out.

Hence it is not always possible to find cestodes eggs in faecal samples.

Parasite stages found with the floatation method

Eggs of cestodes and most of nematodes

Larvae of lungworms

Oocysts of coccidia

Trematode eggs are not satisfactorily detected with the flotation method.