A rapid technique for the recovery of strongyloid infective larvae from pasture and soil samples.

A technique is described for the recovery of infective larvae of strongyloid nematodes from sediment resulting from the washing of pasture and soil samples. The process of recovery and counting of larvae is described by a model based on the binomial distribution. Tests of the technique have shown that it will recover approximately 50% of the larvae present in samples of pasture sediment of either 7.5 or 12.5 ml in volume after centrifugation. The efficiency of the technique was independent of the number of larvae present in samples of pasture sediment. The technique was shown to be less efficient and more variable in recovery of larvae from samples of soil sediment. Estimations in efficiency of recovery from soil sediment ranged from 64 to 110.2% and a significant effect of volume of sediment on recovery was detected.