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This invention provides compositions and methods for fixing biological samples, particularly fecal samples used in the diagnosis of parasitic infection. The fixative composition of the present invention includes a zinc salt, an organic acid and water and permits staining of biological samples withou

This invention provides compositions and methods for fixing biological samples, particularly fecal samples used in the diagnosis of parasitic infection. The fixative composition of the present invention includes a zinc salt, an organic acid and water and permits staining of biological samples without use of toxic compounds, such as formaldehyde and mercury-containing compounds and without the use of additives such as polyvinyl alcohol. The fixative composition and methods are compatible with many diagnostic assays, including trichrome stains, iron hematoxlin, ELISA, fluorescent assays, and lateral flow assays.

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1. A mercury-free, formaldehyde-free and polyvinyl alcohol-free universal fixative composition for preserving a fecal sample, said universal fixative consisting essentially of one or more low molecular weight alcohols; zinc sulfate; acetic acid; and water. 2. The universal fixative composition of cl

1. A mercury-free, formaldehyde-free and polyvinyl alcohol-free universal fixative composition for preserving a fecal sample, said universal fixative consisting essentially of one or more low molecular weight alcohols; zinc sulfate; acetic acid; and water. 2. The universal fixative composition of claim 1, wherein the acetic acid is added in an amount to obtain a pH range of about pH 3 to about pH 5 of the universal fixative composition. 3. The universal fixative composition of claim 1, wherein the zinc sulfate is a heptahydrate. 4. The universal fixative composition of claim 1, wherein the alcohol is selected from the group consisting of ethyl alcohol, methyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol and mixtures thereof. 5. The universal fixative composition of claim 4, wherein the alcohol is selected from the group consisting of ethyl alcohol and reagent alcohol. 6. The universal fixative composition of claim 1, wherein the alcohol is present in the universal fixative composition at about 20% to about 35% of the total volume of the universal fixative composition. 7. The universal fixative composition of claim 1, wherein the zinc sulfate is present in the universal fixative composition in an amount of about 1% to about 10% w/v. 8. A mercury-free, formaldehyde-free and polyvinyl alcohol-free universal fixative composition for preserving a fecal sample, said universal fixative consisting essentially of: a. one or more low molecular weight alcohols having a molecular weight between about 30 and about 65 Daltons, the total amount of low molecular weight alcohols being in an amount of from about 20% to about 35% of the total volume of the universal fixative; b. about 1% to about 10% w/v of zinc sulfate; c. acetic acid; and d. water; wherein the acetic acid is added in an amount sufficient to adjust the pH of the universal fixative composition to a range from about pH 3 to about pH 5. 9. The universal fixative composition of claim 8, wherein the alcohol is selected from the group consisting of ethyl alcohol, methyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol and mixtures thereof. 10. The universal fixative of claim 8, wherein the zinc sulfate is about 5% w/v. 11. The universal fixative of claim 8, wherein the zinc sulfate is a heptahydrate. 12. A method for preserving fecal specimens, said method comprising the step of contacting a fecal specimen with an amount of a parasitological fixative effective for preserving the fecal specimen, said parasitological fixative consisting essentially of one or more low molecular weight alcohols; zinc sulfate; acetic acid; and water. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the zinc sulfate is present in an amount of about 4 to about 6 percent by weight of the parasitological fixative; the alcohol is present in an amount of from about 25 to about 27 percent by weight of the parasitological fixative, and the acetic acid is present in an amount of from about 0.5 to about 1.5 percent by weight of the parasitological fixative. 14. The method of claim 13 wherein the zinc sulfate is about 5 percent by weight of the parasitological fixative. 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the zinc sulfate is a heptahydrate. 16. The method of claim 12, wherein the alcohol is selected from the group consisting of methyl alcohol, ethanol, isopropanol and mixtures thereof. 17. A method for preserving, concentrating and staining fecal specimens being examined for parasites, said method comprising the steps of a. contacting a fecal specimen with a parasitological fixative, said fixative comprising from about 4 to about 6 percent by weight of zinc sulfate, from about 25 to about 27 percent by weight of one or more low molecular weight alcohols having a molecular weight between about 30 and 65 Daltons, from about 0.5 to about 1.5 percent by weight of acetic acid, and water;b. sedimenting the fecal specimen of step (a) by subjecting the fecal specimen to a method comprising filtration and a single step of centrifugation;c. applying a portion of the sedimented fecal specimen obtained from step (b) to a microscope slide after the first centrifugation;d. drying the microscope slide prepared in step (c); ande. staining said specimen for identification of parasites after step (d). 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the slide is allowed to dry for about two hours in an incubator. 19. The method of claim 17, wherein the slide is allowed to dry for at least about eight hours at room temperature. 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the zinc sulfate is a heptahydrate. 21. The method of claim 17, wherein the alcohol is selected from the group consisting of methyl alcohol, ethanol, isopropanol and mixtures thereof. 22. The method of claim 17, wherein the alcohol is reagent alcohol.