Composite <i>Fasciola hepatica</i> faecal egg sedimentation test for cattle



Graham-Brown, John ORCID: 0000-0001-7305-5262, Williams, Diana JL ORCID: 0000-0001-8186-7236, Skuce, Philip, Zadoks, Ruth N, Dawes, Stuart, Swales, Harry ORCID: 0000-0002-9341-1882 and Van Dijk, Jan
(2019) Composite <i>Fasciola hepatica</i> faecal egg sedimentation test for cattle. VETERINARY RECORD, 184 (19). 589-.

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Abstract

Options for diagnosing <i>Fasciola hepatica</i> infection in groups of cattle are limited. Increasing the opportunities for herd-level diagnosis is important for disease monitoring, making informed treatment decisions and for flukicide efficacy testing. The sensitivity of a simple sedimentation method based on composite faecal samples for the detection of fluke eggs in cattle was assessed through a combination of experimental and statistical modelling techniques. Initially, a composite sample method previously developed for sheep was used to investigate the sensitivity of composite sample testing compared with individual counts on the same samples in cattle. Following this, an optimised, validated, qualitative (presence-absence) composite sample field test was developed for cattle. Results showed that fluke egg counts obtained from a composite sample are representative of those expected from individual counts. The optimal sampling strategy was determined to be 10 individual 10 g samples (100 g composite sample) from which a 10 g subsample is taken for sedimentation. This method yielded a diagnostic sensitivity of 0.69 (95 per cent CI 0.5 to 0.85). These results demonstrate the validity and usefulness of a composite faecal egg sedimentation method for use in the diagnosis and control of <i>F. hepatica</i> in groups of cattle, with the caveat that a negative test should be followed up with a second test due to limitations relating to test sensitivity.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Feces, Animals, Cattle, Fasciola hepatica, Fascioliasis, Cattle Diseases, Parasite Egg Count, Female
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 04 Feb 2019 09:28
Last Modified: 07 Feb 2024 18:00
DOI: 10.1136/vr.105128
Open Access URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/vr.105128
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URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3032192