Comparison of the methods of rectal palpation and haemagglutination-inhibition assay for diagnosis of pregnancy in mares.

The research is a comparative study of the rectal palpation and the haemagglutination-inhibition assay methods for diagnosing pregnancy in mares, particularly focusing on the successful births and consistency between the two tests.

Overview of the Research

• The research focuses on comparing two methods of diagnosing pregnancy in mares – rectal palpation and haemagglutination-inhibition assay (an immunological test of pregnancy-specific Hormone PMSG).
• These methods were tested on mares at various stages of pregnancy who were inseminated with frozen semen.
• The effectiveness of both methods was evaluated on the basis of successful foalings and the number of inconsistent results obtained from both tests.

Observed Results

• The study found varying results depending on the stage of pregnancy.
• In the early stage (Days 40 to 60), the haemagglutination-inhibition assay provided fewer false positive results than the rectal palpation method. A false positive is when a test inaccurately indicates that a particular condition or attribute is present.
• However, this trend reversed in later stages of gestation. As the pregnancy progressed, it indicated the rectal palpation method was comparatively more accurate.

Interpretation of Results and Implications

• The research suggests that the haemagglutination-inhibition assay may be more reliable than rectal palpation for diagnosing early pregnancy in mares.
• As gestation progresses, rectal palpation may be more effective than the haemagglutination-inhibition assay.
• This study implies that the best method to diagnose pregnancy in mares could depend on the stage of pregnancy, and both methods might need to be used in conjunction to assure accuracy.