Fig. 1

Main procedures of blood sample preparation for the application of buffy coat method. a Capillary tube with centrifugated blood, which was prepared for initial microscopical examination (note that one tip of the capillary is blocked with plasticine and the entire capillary tube is fixed on the objective glass slide using plasticine). Long barbed arrow, buffy coat; long simple arrow, plasticine. b Buffy coat layer as it looks under light microscope (100× magnification), note that microfilariae are readily visible and locate close to the buffy coat layer (long arrow, buffy coat layer; short arrows, microfilariae). c Capillary tube being broken close to the buffy coat layer using a sharp edge of the objective glass slide (arrowhead, the site where the capillary tube should be broken). d Blood and the buffy coat layer being transferred to the objective glass slide (arrowhead, buffy coat layer and small portion of red blood cells). e Blood and the buffy coat layer transferred on the objective glass slide and being covered with a coverslip (arrow, cover slip)