Method of detecting filarial larvae in blood

A method of detecting filarial larvae in blood without using an immunological technique, comprising:

• without using an immunological technique, preparing a measurement sample from a blood sample collected from an animal;
• flowing the prepared measurement sample through a flow cell;
• irradiating light to the measurement sample flowing through the flow cell;
• detecting first scattered light, second scattered light different from the first scattered light and fluorescent light all scattered from the measurement sample;
• converting the first and second scattered light and the fluorescent light, respectively, into a first series of pulse signals, a second series of pulse signals and a third series of pulse signals, the pulse signals each being representative of an event indicative of passing of a particle contained in the measurement sample, wherein each event is valued with a width of a corresponding pulse and a height thereof;
• gating, for distinguishing filarial larvae from white blood cells in the measurement sample, events represented by at least one of the first, second and third series of pulse signals to identify a plurality of discrete populations of events to thereby detect a first group of events indicative of passing of filarial larvae contained in the measurement sample and a second group of events indicative of passing of white blood cells in the measurement sample
• counting the first group of events indicative of passing of filarial larvae contained in the measurement sample;
• and
• displaying a count of the first group of events,
• wherein gating events represented by at least one of the first, second and third series of pulse signals comprises (i) gating the events in a one-dimensional distribution of widths represented by one of the first, second and third series of pulse signals, (ii) gating the events in a two-dimensional distribution of two groups of heights represented, respectively, by two of the first, second and third series of pulse signals or (iii) gating the events in a two-dimensional distribution of widths and heights represented by the first series of pulse signals.