Survey of clinical laboratory practices for parasitic diseases.

To gain knowledge about laboratory testing practices for parasitic diseases, in 2000 we surveyed 562 laboratories in 9 US states, and 455 (81%) responded. Most laboratories (59%) indicated that they send specimens off site for parasite screening, and most laboratories (89%) did not routinely test fecal specimens for Cryptosporidium species, Cyclospora cayetanensis, or microsporidia, unless testing for these organisms was specifically requested by a physician. Only 39 laboratories offered serological testing for Toxoplasma gondii, and most (78%) that had their results confirmed did so at national commercial laboratories rather than a Toxoplasma reference laboratory.