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Evaluation of a double centrifugation technique for the detection of Anoplocephala eggs in horse faeces.
Abstract: Faecal samples of 250 horses from farms with a known history of tapeworm infection were examined comparatively for cestode eggs using a double centrifugation/combined sedimentation-floatation technique. From each faecal sample, three 5 g and three 15 g subsamples were processed, each using either saturated NaCl solution, specific gravity (sp. g.) 1.2 [NaCl]; concentrated sugar solution, sp. g. 1.26 [sugar]; or concentrated ZnSO4 solution, sp. g. 1.3 [ZnSO4] for floatation. In total, faeces from 187 horses ( = 74.8%) tested 'positive' for Anoplocephala eggs. Percentages of samples testing 'positive' for Anoplocephala ova were: 57.2% for 5 g faeces/NaCl, 66% for 15 g faeces/NaCl, 66% for 5 g faeces/sugar, 72.8% for 15 g faeces/sugar, 55.6% for 5 g faeces/ZnSO4, and 61.2% for 15 g faeces/ZnSO4, respectively. Processing of 15 g faecal samples resulted in a significant (P < 0.05; McNemar's χ2-test) increase in the percentage of Anoplocephala egg detection compared to processing of 5 g samples for all floatation solutions. By processing 15 g faecal samples using sugar solution for floatation, 97.3% of all samples that tested 'positive' for Anoplocephala eggs were identified; there was no significant difference between the rate of samples that tested 'positive' using 15 g faeces/sugar (72.8%) and the total rate of samples that tested 'positive' (74.8%). Conversely, percentages of 'positive' samples from other test combinations were significantly (P < 0.0001, McNemar's χ2-test) lower than the total rate of samples testing 'positive'. Processing faecal samples using sugar solution for floatation gave significantly (P < 0.05, Wilcoxon test) higher Anoplocephala egg counts than using NaCl and ZnSO4 solutions, for both 5 g and 15 g faecal samples. The double centrifugation technique using 15 g faecal samples and concentrated sugar solution for floatation appeared to offer an advantage for the detection of Anoplocephala eggs in horse faeces compared to the other test combinations.
Publication Date: 2010-12-08 PubMed ID: 21138608DOI: 10.1017/S0022149X10000751Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Evaluation Study
- Journal Article
Summary
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The research evaluated a double centrifugation technique detecting Anoplocephala (tapeworm) eggs in horse faeces, finding the best results when using a 15g faecal sample with a concentrated sugar solution.
Research Methodology
- The researchers collected faecal samples from 250 horses from farmlands with confirmed histories of tapeworm infection.
- They processed the samples using a ‘double centrifugation’ technique combined with sedimentation-floatation treatment.
- From each sample, they created sub-samples each weighing 5g and 15g.
- For floatation post-centrifugation, three solutions were used: saturated NaCl (salt solution), a concentrated sugar solution, and a concentrated ZnSO4 (zinc sulphate) solution. Each of these solutions exhibits a different specific gravity (1.2 for NaCl, 1.26 for sugar, and 1.3 for ZnSO4).
Findings
- Anoplocephala eggs were found in the faeces of 187 horses, representing 74.8% of the total samples tested.
- A varying rate of detection was observed based on the type of solution used for floatation and the weight of the stool sample. Higher percentages of Anoplocephala eggs were detected with larger (15g) faecal samples and with the sugar solution.
- Significant increases in Anoplocephala egg detection were noted (P <0.05) when 15g samples were processed compared to 5g samples. This was consistent across all three flotation solutions.
- Using the sugar solution on the 15g faecal samples identified 97.3% of all samples testing positive for tapeworm eggs. There was negligible difference between this rate and the total percentage of samples testing positive (74.8%).
- In contrast, the rates of positive results from other sample-solution combinations were significantly lower (P <0.0001).
- The analysis further showed a significantly higher detection of Anoplocephala eggs when the sugar solution was used compared to the NaCl and ZnSO4 solutions, regardless of the sample size used (both 5g or 15g).
Conclusion
- Using a 15g faecal sample in combination with a concentrated sugar solution for floatation considerably improved the detection rate of Anoplocephala eggs in horse faeces via the double centrifugation technique.
- The technical combination seemed to provide an upper hand over other test combinations.
Cite This Article
APA
Rehbein S, Lindner T, Visser M, Winter R.
(2010).
Evaluation of a double centrifugation technique for the detection of Anoplocephala eggs in horse faeces.
J Helminthol, 85(4), 409-414.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022149X10000751 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Merial GmbH, Kathrinenhof Research Center, Walchenseestr. 8-12, 83101 Rohrdorf, Germany. steffen.rehbein@merial.com
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Centrifugation / methods
- Cestoda / isolation & purification
- Cestode Infections / parasitology
- Cestode Infections / veterinary
- Feces / parasitology
- Horse Diseases / parasitology
- Horses
- Parasite Egg Count / methods
- Parasite Egg Count / veterinary
- Parasitology / methods
Citations
This article has been cited 13 times.- Girisgin O, Gülegen E, Girisgin AO, Cirak VY. Potassium carbonate as an alternative solution for detecting Anoplocephalid eggs in horse faecal samples. BMC Vet Res 2025 Dec 22;22(1):30.
- Elghryani N, McAloon CG, Lahan G, McOwan T, de Waal T. Comparing the performance of OvaCyte and traditional techniques in detecting canine gastrointestinal parasites. Parasit Vectors 2025 Aug 13;18(1):345.
- Kukurić T, Erdeljan M, Matthews JB, Lightbody KL, Austin CJ, Peczak N, Uzelac A, Klun I, Simin S. A Prevalence Study on Anoplocephala spp. in Serbian Horses: Navigating Diagnostic Challenges and Understanding Infection Risks. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jul 16;15(14).
- Burcáková L, Königová A, Kuzmina TA, Austin CJ, Matthews JB, Lightbody KL, Peczak NA, Syrota Y, Várady M. Equine tapeworm (Anoplocephala spp.) infection: evaluation of saliva- and serum-based antibody detection methods and risk factor analysis in Slovak horse populations. Parasitol Res 2023 Dec;122(12):3037-3052.
- Jürgenschellert L, Krücken J, Bousquet E, Bartz J, Heyer N, Nielsen MK, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G. Occurrence of Strongylid Nematode Parasites on Horse Farms in Berlin and Brandenburg, Germany, With High Seroprevalence of Strongylus vulgaris Infection. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:892920.
- Boelow H, Krücken J, Thomas E, Mirams G, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G. Comparison of FECPAK(G2), a modified Mini-FLOTAC technique and combined sedimentation and flotation for the coproscopic examination of helminth eggs in horses. Parasit Vectors 2022 May 12;15(1):166.
- Ghafar A, Abbas G, King J, Jacobson C, Hughes KJ, El-Hage C, Beasley A, Bauquier J, Wilkes EJA, Hurley J, Cudmore L, Carrigan P, Tennent-Brown B, Nielsen MK, Gauci CG, Beveridge I, Jabbar A. Comparative studies on faecal egg counting techniques used for the detection of gastrointestinal parasites of equines: A systematic review. Curr Res Parasitol Vector Borne Dis 2021;1:100046.
- Jürgenschellert L, Krücken J, Austin CJ, Lightbody KL, Bousquet E, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G. Investigations on the occurrence of tapeworm infections in German horse populations with comparison of different antibody detection methods based on saliva and serum samples. Parasit Vectors 2020 Sep 10;13(1):462.
- Peachey LE, Castro C, Molena RA, Jenkins TP, Griffin JL, Cantacessi C. Dysbiosis associated with acute helminth infections in herbivorous youngstock - observations and implications. Sci Rep 2019 Jul 31;9(1):11121.
- Peachey LE, Molena RA, Jenkins TP, Di Cesare A, Traversa D, Hodgkinson JE, Cantacessi C. The relationships between faecal egg counts and gut microbial composition in UK Thoroughbreds infected by cyathostomins. Int J Parasitol 2018 May;48(6):403-412.
- Molena RA, Peachey LE, Di Cesare A, Traversa D, Cantacessi C. Cyathostomine egg reappearance period following ivermectin treatment in a cohort of UK Thoroughbreds. Parasit Vectors 2018 Jan 25;11(1):61.
- Tomczuk K, Kostro K, Szczepaniak KO, Grzybek M, Studzińska M, Demkowska-Kutrzepa M, Roczeń-Karczmarz M. Comparison of the sensitivity of coprological methods in detecting Anoplocephala perfoliata invasions. Parasitol Res 2014 Jun;113(6):2401-6.
- Getachew AM, Innocent G, Proudman CJ, Trawford A, Feseha G, Reid SW, Faith B, Love S. Equine cestodosis: a sero-epidemiological study of Anoplocephala perfoliata infection in Ethiopia. Vet Res Commun 2012 Jun;36(2):93-8.
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