An improved parasitological technique for the diagnosis of african trypanosomiasis

Light microscopic examination of the huffy coat zone of a microhaematocrit capillary tube expressed on to a slide was found to be consistently more reliable than other standard techniques in detecting trypanosomes in the circulation of cattle. This method also allowed identification of different trypanosome species. Optimal results were obtained using darkground illumination. © 1977 Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.