Strongyloides stercoralis

Plant hair in feces (unstained, high power). This hair is from the fuzz covering peaches. These and similar plant hairs are seen frequently in feces, where they may often be confused with Strongyloides or other nematode larvae by inexperienced workers. The refractile central canal, which runs the length of the hair, should not be mistaken for the well differentiated esophagus and intestine of a nematode larva. Although one end of the hair may be tapering and smoothly rounded, as are the ends of nematode larvae, the other end usually is blunt and irregular, a feature not seen in a larval parasite. The approximate lengths and widths of such hairs may vary considerably; however, the sizes of many hairs will be 225 to 330 um long by 10 to 15 um wide; these measurements are similar to the sizes of Strongyloides and other nematode larvae.