Comparative studies on faecal egg counting techniques used for the detection of gastrointestinal parasites of equines: A systematic review.
- Journal Article
- Review
Summary
The research article is a systematic review of techniques used for detecting gastrointestinal parasites in equines, notably horses, using faecal egg counting techniques (FECT). The authors examined the effectiveness of different methods, identified gaps in current research, and offered future research directions.
Research Overview
The research involved a systematic review of existing literature on different techniques used for counting faecal eggs – a method for detecting gastrointestinal parasites in equines.
- The types of techniques evaluated include flotation, centrifugation, image-based, and artificial intelligence-based methodologies. Crucially, the effectiveness of each technique varied significantly.
- The main goal was to critically assess these coprological (study of faeces) techniques, identify the various modifications, and compare these methods as applied in equine research.
- A secondary objective was to highlight areas where further research is needed due to knowledge gaps in this field.
Methods and Execution
The authors investigated 27 studies published in three different databases, where FECT in equines was assessed and compared.
- The studies mainly evaluated the McMaster (81.5%), Mini-FLOTAC® (33.3%), and simple flotation (25.5%) techniques, with a significant majority (77.8%) comparing the effectiveness of at least two or three methods.
- These investigations were primarily aimed at detecting strongyle, spp., and cestode eggs using various FECT.
- The researchers found that a sugar-based flotation solution with a specific gravity of ≥1.2 was the most effective flotation solution for exposing parasitic eggs across most of the FECT.
Key Findings and Conclusions
One of the key observations was that none of the studies followed a uniform or standardised protocol. Moreover, the size of the samples used (i.e., equine population and faecal samples) differed significantly across all studies.
- This suggests that the lack of a standard method might be contributing to the variability in the effectiveness of the techniques studied.
- The review concluded that there’s a need for more research and a standardized protocol to effectively compare and contrast the myriad of FECT in use.
- This work represented the first systematic review that we know of specifically aimed at comparing FECT in equines and it shed light upon important knowledge gaps in the evaluation and comparison of these techniques.
Cite This Article
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, Victoria, Australia.
- Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, Victoria, Australia.
- Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, Victoria, Australia.
- Centre for Animal Production and Health, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia.
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia.
- Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, Victoria, Australia.
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia.
- Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, Victoria, Australia.
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia.
- Swettenham Stud, Nagambie, Victoria, Australia.
- Scone Equine Hospital, Scone, New South Wales, Australia.
- Scone Equine Hospital, Scone, New South Wales, Australia.
- Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, Victoria, Australia.
- M.H. Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
- Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, Victoria, Australia.
- Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, Victoria, Australia.
- Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, Victoria, Australia.
Conflict of Interest Statement
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Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Martins AV, Coelho AL, Corrêa LL, Ribeiro MS, Lobão LF, Palmer JPS, Moura LC, Molento MB, Barbosa ADS. First microscopic and molecular parasitological survey of Strongylus vulgaris in Brazilian ponies.. Rev Bras Parasitol Vet 2023;32(3):e006323.