The creation of a virtual museum contributes to the providing the most effective diagnosis of parasitosis

Conduction. The recognition diagnosis of helminths and protozoa invasion is one of the current and almost unresolved problems in modern parasitology. For the present, the lack of a standardized museum of parasitic pathogens in Russia and abroad complicates a parasitologist’s already hard work. The population urbanization, increased anthropogenic pressure, climate change, and natural disasters lead to the occurrence of favorable conditions for the development, long-term survival, and spread of pathogens of parasitic diseases in various environmental objects. The deterioration of the population socio-economic conditions, the emergence of interethnic conflicts in the world led to large-scale migration flows from countries near and far abroad to Russia, which led to an increase in pathogens circulating in the territory of the Russian Federation. 

The aim of our research was to improve the methodological support and create virtual slides with the image of larvae and eggs of helminths, as well as cysts and oocysts of pathogenic protozoa recorded on the territory of the Russian Federation based on digital scanner microscopes.

Material and methods. The authors used scanner microscopes with the software module “Parasitology.”

Results. An up-to-date register of photo images of more than 40 species of parasitic pathogens of medical significance and 53 species of pathogens of parasitic diseases of animals that pose a danger to human life has been delivered.

Discussion. The authors are always working on improving the technical characteristics of digital analyzers.

Conclusion. Updating the atlas, creating a new advanced gallery of helminth eggs, larvae, cysts, and oocysts of pathogenic protozoa will significantly increase parasitological studies’ effectiveness in sanitation and the analysis of intestinal microbiota.