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Veterinary parasitology1998; 74(1); 79-83; doi: 10.1016/s0304-4017(97)00145-3

Reliability of coprological diagnosis of Anoplocephala perfoliata infection.

Abstract: Three coprological methods were tested to establish the reliability of in vivo diagnosis of Anoplocephala perfoliata. A total of 107 faecal samples were analyzed, and the presence of tapeworms were confirmed postmortem in 24 animals with burdens that ranged from 1 to 248 worms; most of them (71%) with less than 100 parasites. Best results were obtained with a combination of two sedimentation/flotation methods, detecting only half the parasitized animals (54% sensitivity). No relationship could be established between tapeworm burden and egg detection, but results indicate that coprological methods have a lower likelihood of diagnosing cestode infection when horses have less than 100 tapeworms.
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Publication Date: 1998-03-11 PubMed ID: 9493312DOI: 10.1016/s0304-4017(97)00145-3Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • 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 investigates the reliability of three coprological methods for the detection of Anoplocephala perfoliata (a type of tapeworm) in horses. The methods demonstrated limited success, with the best results coming from a combination of sedimentation and flotation techniques, achieving a diagnosis sensitivity of 54%.

Background of the Research

  • Three coprological methods were examined in this study. Coprological methods involve analyzing fecal matter to identify parasitic infections like that of the tapeworm Anoplocephala perfoliata.
  • The examination involved 107 fecal samples from different animals. Postmortem examinations confirmed a tapeworm presence in 24 of these animals.

Main Findings

  • The best diagnostic outcome was achieved using a combination of two methods: sedimentation and flotation.
  • This combination method was able to detect tapeworm infections in only about half of the infected animals, resulting in a sensitivity of 54%.
  • The burdens of the parasitic tapeworms ranged from 1 to 248 worms in the affected animals. Most of the animals (71%) had less than 100 parasites.

Correlation Analysis

  • The study found no direct relationship between the burden of tapeworms (number of tapeworms an animal is carrying) and egg detection. This may imply that even animals carrying a significant number of worms may not excrete a detectable number of eggs in their feces, making diagnosis through these methods unreliable.
  • Note that results suggest coprological methods have a lower propensity to correctly diagnose cestode (a class of parasitic worms, which includes tapeworms) infections when the animals have fewer than 100 tapeworms.

Conclusion of the Research

  • The research underscores the limitations of using coprological methods for diagnosing A. perfoliata infection in animals.
  • Further improvement and refinement of diagnosis methods are needed to increase accuracy, especially in cases with lesser worm burdens.

Cite This Article

APA
Meana A, Luzon M, Corchero J, Gómez-Bautista M. (1998). Reliability of coprological diagnosis of Anoplocephala perfoliata infection. Vet Parasitol, 74(1), 79-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0304-4017(97)00145-3

Publication

Veterinary parasitology
ISSN: 0304-4017
NlmUniqueID: 7602745
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Volume: 74
Issue: 1
Pages: 79-83

Researcher Affiliations

Meana, A
  • Departamento de Patología Animal I (Sanidad Animal), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain. ameana@eucmax.sim.ucm.es
Luzon, M
    Corchero, J
      Gómez-Bautista, M

        MeSH Terms

        • Animals
        • Cestoda / isolation & purification
        • Cestode Infections / parasitology
        • Cestode Infections / pathology
        • Cestode Infections / veterinary
        • Death
        • Horse Diseases
        • Horses
        • Parasite Egg Count / methods
        • Parasite Egg Count / veterinary
        • Reproducibility of Results
        • Spain

        Citations

        This article has been cited 13 times.
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