Pete Dixon

This afternoon I tried the last one of those AliExpress sub-$20 microscopes. All told there were four, and I'm including a pic of the most promising one where the tube is suspended above a platform.

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Even with top and below lighting and a sample where I knew there was a larva directly in the center of the drop, I still couldn't see it. I could sort of make out other debris, but no, just no.

It's still a cute tool, though. You plug into your computer's USB port and using an app like VLC you can project a live image to the monitor, which in my case is a 55" TV. It's fine for looking at features on coins and the like, but my dream of a portable kit that I could take with me travelling is a bust. The only suitable tool for hookworm larvae harvesting is a full-on microscope. I particularly like my dissecting scope with ample room for pipette work.

For this test, I was looking at the contents of another two practice jars. It was early, only 5 days in, and I saw only a few larvae. Enough for my 10 larvae needs, but nothing like I saw before. I'll check the jars again at the 10-day point.