Question

Knowing what cells Ehrlichia infects, how would you best make a smear to look for this parasite?

a) Stain with Giemsa and examine as a blood smear
b) Stain with Gram stain and examine as a fecal smear
c) Use a fluorescent stain and examine as a urine smear
d) Stain with Wright-Giemsa and examine as a tick smear

Answer 1

To detect Ehrlichia, which infects certain blood cells, a Wright-Giemsa stained blood smear should be examined under a microscope using an oil immersion lens.

Step-by-step explanation:

The best method to make a smear to look for the parasite Ehrlichia, which infects specific blood cells, is to stain the blood smear with Wright-Giemsa stain and examine it. This stain is particularly suited for blood smears as it stains red blood cells in a pinkish-red hue and stains the nucleus and cytoplasm of white blood cells various shades of purple. By examining a Wright-Giemsa stained blood smear under a microscope using an oil immersion lens, one can identify intracellular parasites such as Ehrlichia within the white blood cells.