Table 1 Primer sets and detection probes for conventional and real-time PCRs used in the study to detect Infections caused by the parasitic species Giardia lamblia and Hymenolepis nana and those of the genera Entamoeba and Cryptosporidium

 E. histolytica

18S rRNA gene

E-1 5′-GCGGTAATTCCAGCTCCA-3′

E-2 5′-GTGAAATGCTTTCGCTCTCG − 3′

95°C5 m [94 °C 30s 56 °C 30s 72 °C 45 s] for 26 × 72 °C 6 m

This study

 E. dispar

 E. coli

 E. nana

 E. muris

 G. lamblia

tpi gene ⁽¹⁾

tpi(A-for) 5′-GGAGACCGACGAGCAAAGC-3′ tpi (A-rev), 5′-CTTGCCAAGCGCCTCAA-3′ (Assemblage A)tpi(B-for), 5′-AATAGCAGCACARAACGTGTATCTG-3’tpi(B-rev), 5′-CCCATGTCCAGCAGCATCT-3′(Assemblage B)

95°C5 m [94 °C 30s 62 °C 30s 72 °C 30s] for 38 × 72 °C 7 m

[26]

 H. nana

 H. dimenuta

18S rDNA gene, ITS1,

F3 (5′-GCGGAAGGGATACTTACACGTTC-3′) R3 (5-'GCTCGACTCTTCATCGATCCACG-3′)

95°C5 m [95 °C 20s 60 °C 30s 72 °C 45 s] for 35 × 72 °C 7 m

[27]

 Cryptosporidium spp

COWP gene⁽²⁾

cry15: 5′-GTAGATAATGGAAGAGATTGTG-3 cry9: 5′-GGACTGAAATACAGGCATTATCTTG-3’

95°C5 m [94 °C 30s 60 °C 30s 72 °C 30s] for 38 × 72 °C 7 m

[28, 29]

 C. parvum spp

C. parvum-specific 452-bp

DNA fragment.

Cr-F 5′-CGCTTCTCTAGCCTTTCATGA-3′ Cr-R 5′-CTTCACGTGTGTTTGCCAAT-3′ CryptoTP1 Tex Red- 5′-CCAATCACAGAATCATCAGAATCGACTGGTATC-3′ BHQ2

95°C1 5s [95 °C 15 s 60 °C 30s 72 °C 30s] for 40x

[25]

 G. lamblia

SSU RNA gene ⁽³⁾

Giardia 80F 5′-GACGGCTCAGGACAACGGTT-3′ Giardia 127R 5′-TTGCCAGCGGTGTCCG-3′ Giardia-105 T FAM-5′-CCCGCGGCGGTCCCTGCTAG-3′-BHQ 1

95 °C 15 s [95 °C 15 s 60 °C 30s 72 °C 30s] for 40x

[25]