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Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Parasitol / Comparison of fecal egg counting methods in four livestock s...
Veterinary parasitology2018; 257; 21-27; doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2018.05.015

Comparison of fecal egg counting methods in four livestock species.

Abstract: Gastrointestinal nematode parasites are important pathogens of all domesticated livestock species. Fecal egg counts (FEC) are routinely used for evaluating anthelmintic efficacy and for making targeted anthelmintic treatment decisions. Numerous FEC techniques exist and vary in precision and accuracy. These performance characteristics are especially important when performing fecal egg count reduction tests (FECRT). The objective of this study was to compare the accuracy and precision of three commonly used FEC methods and determine if differences existed among livestock species. In this study, we evaluated the modified-Wisconsin, 3-chamber (high-sensitivity) McMaster, and Mini-FLOTAC methods in cattle, sheep, horses, and llamas in three phases. In the first phase, we performed an egg-spiking study to assess the egg recovery rate and accuracy of the different FEC methods. In the second phase, we examined clinical samples from four different livestock species and completed multiple replicate FEC using each method. In the last phase, we assessed the cheesecloth straining step as a potential source of egg loss. In the egg-spiking study, the Mini-FLOTAC recovered 70.9% of the eggs, which was significantly higher than either the McMaster (P = 0.002) or Wisconsin (P = 0.002). In the clinical samples from ruminants, Mini-FLOTAC consistently yielded the highest EPG, revealing a significantly higher level of egg recovery (P < 0.0001). For horses and llamas, both McMaster and Mini-FLOTAC yielded significantly higher EPG than Wisconsin (P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001, P < 0.001, and P = 0.024). Mini-FLOTAC was the most accurate method and was the most precise test for both species of ruminants. The Wisconsin method was the most precise for horses and McMaster was more precise for llama samples. We compared the Wisconsin and Mini-FLOTAC methods using a modified technique where both methods were performed using either the Mini-FLOTAC sieve or cheesecloth. The differences in the estimated mean EPG on log scale between the Wisconsin and mini-FLOTAC methods when cheesecloth was used (P < 0.0001) and when cheesecloth was excluded (P < 0.0001) were significant, providing strong evidence that the straining step is an important source of error. The high accuracy and precision demonstrated in this study for the Mini-FLOTAC, suggest that this method can be recommended for routine use in all host species. The benefits of Mini-FLOTAC will be especially relevant when high accuracy is important, such as when performing FECRT.
Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Publication Date: 2018-05-26 PubMed ID: 29907188DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2018.05.015Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Comparative Study
  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research article focuses on comparing three commonly used methods for counting the eggs of gastrointestinal nematode parasites found in livestock feces to ascertain the most accurate and precise. Furthermore, it looks at how different straining steps of these methods can affect the results. The findings suggest that the Mini-FLOTAC method provided the best results for each livestock species studied.

Objective of the Study

  • The primary goal of this research was to compare three commonly used fecal egg count (FEC) techniques – modified-Wisconsin, 3-chamber (high-sensitivity) McMaster, and Mini-FLOTAC – for their precision and accuracy in detecting gastrointestinal nematode parasite eggs in livestock feces.

Methodology

  • The study was conducted in three phases.
  • In the first phase, an egg-spiking trial was performed to gauge the egg recovery rate and the accuracy of the various FEC methodologies.
  • The second phase used clinical samples from four different livestock species – cattle, sheep, horses, and llamas – and multiple replicate FECs were completed using each method.
  • In the third and final phase, the cheesecloth straining step (which is part of the methodology) was evaluated as a possible source of egg loss.

Results and Findings

  • The results showed that the Mini-FLOTAC technique yielded the best results. It recovered 70.9% of the eggs, which was significantly better than either the McMaster or Wisconsin methods.
  • For samples collected from ruminant species, Mini-FLOTAC consistently yielded the highest egg count per gram (EPG), demonstrating a considerably greater level of egg recovery.
  • The study also found both McMaster and Mini-FLOTAC methods to be more effective than the Wisconsin method for horse and llama samples.
  • In terms of accuracy and precision, Mini-FLOTAC was the most accurate method and was also the most precise test for ruminant species. For horses, the Wisconsin method was most precise, while McMaster was more precise for llama samples.
  • The last phase of the study revealed that the cheesecloth straining step was a significant source of error in FEC.

Conclusion

  • Given its high accuracy and precision, the study recommends the Mini-FLOTAC method for routine use across all host species, especially when high accuracy is crucial (as when performing FECRT).

Cite This Article

APA
Paras KL, George MM, Vidyashankar AN, Kaplan RM. (2018). Comparison of fecal egg counting methods in four livestock species. Vet Parasitol, 257, 21-27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2018.05.015

Publication

Veterinary parasitology
ISSN: 1873-2550
NlmUniqueID: 7602745
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Volume: 257
Pages: 21-27
PII: S0304-4017(18)30208-5

Researcher Affiliations

Paras, Kelsey L
  • University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine Department of Infectious Diseases, 501 D.W. Brooks Dr. Athens, GA, 30602, United States. Electronic address: kelsey.paras@uga.edu.
George, Melissa M
  • University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine Department of Infectious Diseases, 501 D.W. Brooks Dr. Athens, GA, 30602, United States.
Vidyashankar, Anand N
  • George Mason University Volgenau School of Engineering Department of Statistics Nguyen Engineering Building, 4400 University Dr. Fairfax, VA, 22030, United States.
Kaplan, Ray M
  • University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine Department of Infectious Diseases, 501 D.W. Brooks Dr. Athens, GA, 30602, United States.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Camelids, New World
  • Cattle
  • Cattle Diseases / diagnosis
  • Diagnostic Tests, Routine / methods
  • Diagnostic Tests, Routine / veterinary
  • Feces / parasitology
  • Georgia
  • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
  • Horses
  • Parasite Egg Count / methods
  • Parasite Egg Count / veterinary
  • Sheep
  • Sheep Diseases / diagnosis

Citations

This article has been cited 24 times.
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