Multisite performance evaluation of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of Giardia, Cryptosporidium, and Entamoeba histolytica antigens in human stool.

A novel fecal antigen detection assay for fresh and frozen human samples that detects but does not differentiate Giardia spp, Cryptosporidium spp, and Entamoeba histolytica, the Tri-Combo parasite screen, was compared to three established enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) at three international sites. It exhibited 97.9% sensitivity and 97.0% specificity, with positive and negative predictive values of 93.4% and 99.1%, respectively. The Tri-Combo test proved a reliable means to limit the use of individual parasite ELISAs to positive samples.