Post Travel Services

Tropical Medicine Services for Health Professionals

Telephone advice
The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in conjunction with the Infectious Diseases Unit at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital runs a 24 hour, 365 days a year service for doctors seeking a specialist opinion on patients with imported disease. Please telephone 0151-705-3100 for contact details.

The tropical out-patient clinic
The tropical out-patient clinic is situated within the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and is supported by a diagnostic laboratory. Specialist clinicians hold regular NHS out-patients clinics; appointments for these clinics are by General Practitioner referral only.

Malaria Testing
The LSTM diagnostic laboratory provides an emergency same day malaria test service for patients needing to be screened for malaria.

Post exposure to rabies
All travellers with a possible exposure to rabies should be discussed with the clinical team or Health Protection Agency (0208 200 4400). Post exposure treatment is available at the travel clinic usually by prior arrangement with the clinical team.
Please click here on the following link for further information:
http://www.hpa.org.uk/webw/

Diagnostic Parasitology Laboratory:
The Diagnostic Parasitology Laboratory is located in the Department of Clinical Services at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and offers a referral service for the laboratory identification of human parasites from clinical specimens.

The laboratory will accept samples from NHS and private hospitals, general practitioners and private laboratories. A charge is made for all laboratory services, for current prices please telephone laboratory staff on 0151 705 3220

Please note that the Laboratory opening hours are 08.30 - 17.00 Monday to Friday.
The laboratory is closed at weekends and on Bank Holidays
Samples should be sent by first class mail, or courier to:

The Clinical Diagnostic Parasitology Laboratory
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
Pembroke Place
Liverpool L3 5QA

OR
If in the Hays DX scheme:
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine,
Diagnostic Laboratory,
DX 6966301,
LIVERPOOL 92L

Diagnostic Services:

• Malaria testing

Results are available on the day of receipt of specimen. Please send an aliquot of the original (EDTA) blood sample plus 2 unstained thick films and 2 unstained methanol fixed thin films. We would be grateful if you would complete the HPA Malaria reference Lab. report form and enclose with the sample.

Other blood/tissue parasites
Please contact laboratory PRIOR to sending specimens for these tests :

• Concentration techniques for the diagnosis of filariae and trypanosomes.
• Detection of Leishmania spp.parasites (skin biopsy microscopy, marrow microscopy, and PCR may all be used).
• Faecal/urine parasites

Direct microscopy smears are examined where trophozoites stages of protozoan parasites are suspected. A concentration technique is employed on all samples for the presence of ova, cysts or larvae.

Additional tests: Please contact the laboratory for advice on collection of samples PRIOR to sending specimens.

• Staining techniques for the detection of Cryptosporidium , D.fragilis and Microsporidia spp.
• Faecal culture for Strongyloides and Hookworm sp. larvae.
• Rectal swabs for Enterobius ova.
• Examination of whole worms/proglottids.
• Faecal antigen detection test for E.histolytica and Giardia
• Urine filtration for S.haematobium

Serological Tests
The following tests are currently available:

• IFA Amoebiasis ( E.histolytica )
• Fasciola ELISA
• Filaria ELISA
• Hydatid (E.granulosus) ELISA (plus IHA test on positive samples)
• IFA Leishmania
• IFA Malaria
• Schistosome ELISA
• Strongyloides ELISA
• IFA Trypanosomiasis (African & S.American)

Sample requirements

• Faecal Parasites: (50g/half standard faecal container if possible and ESSENTIAL if charcoal culture required.
• Blood Parasites: 5ml blood in EDTA bottle.
• Parasite serology: 5ml serum OR 10ml of clotted blood.

Turn around time for results

• Faecal microscopy - 1 working day.
• Strongyloides culture 6 working days
• Malaria parasites - processed immediately on receipt of sample.
• Serological tests - maximum of 5 working days from receipt of specimen

Turn around times for some additional tests are variable - please contact the laboratory for advice.
For technical advice regarding samples/tests and for interpretation of results please contact Dr Wendi Bailey at the Diagnostic Laboratory 0151 705 3220/3290

For clinical advice and for the treatment of parasitic diseases please contact the on-call consultant physician at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine on 0151 705 3100.