A comparison of Mini-FLOTAC and McMaster techniques in detecting gastrointestinal parasites in West Africa Dwarf sheep and goats and crossbreed rabbits

Alowanou, Géorcelin Goué; Adenile, A.D.; Akouedegni, Guénolé Coovi; Bossou, Arsène C.; Zinsou, Fréjus Tanguy Ablô; Akakpo, Gilles-Christ A.; Kifouly, Habirou A.; Rinaldi, Laura; Samson-Himmelstjerma, Georg von; Cringoli, Giuseppe; Hounzangbé-Adoté, Sylvie

doi:10.1080/09712119.2021.1876703

Cited by 16 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 22 publications

(47 reference statements)

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“…We also detected a higher rate of false negatives for Isospora infection by McMaster relative to mini‐FLOTAC. Similar results have been found in a study comparing these techniques in domestic birds and livestock (Alowanou et al, 2021 ; Lozano et al, 2021 ; Silva et al, 2013 ). Some of these studies, however, did not report statistically significant results which may imply that—overall—the two techniques are generally reliable.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

“…The mini‐FLOTAC, on the other hand, is a newer design, created to be more sensitive and affordable (Cringoli et al, 2010 , 2017 ), but entails a prolonged viewing time. Both techniques have been reported to be reliable (Ballweber et al, 2014 ), and comparable across several species of host and parasites (Alowanou et al, 2021 ; Lozano et al, 2021 ; Silva et al, 2013 ). However, different parasite species have different properties and may respond differently to these techniques.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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The performance of field sampling for parasite detection in a wild passerine

Abdu

Chimento

Alarcón‐Nieto

et al. 2022

Ecology and Evolution

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Parasites can impact the behavior of animals and alter the interplay with ecological factors in their environment. Studying the effects that parasites have on animals thus requires accurate estimates of infections in individuals. However, quantifying parasites can be challenging due to several factors. Laboratory techniques, physiological fluctuations, methodological constraints, and environmental influences can introduce measurement errors, in particular when screening individuals in the wild. These issues are pervasive in ecological studies where it is common to sample study subjects only once. Such factors should be carefully considered when choosing a sampling strategy, yet presently there is little guidance covering the major sources of error. In this study, we estimate the reliability and sensitivity of different sampling practices at detecting two internal parasites— Serratospiculoides amaculata and Isospora sp.—in a model organism, the great tit Parus major . We combine field and captive sampling to assess whether individual parasite infection status and load can be estimated from single field samples, using different laboratory techniques—McMaster and mini‐FLOTAC. We test whether they vary in their performance, and quantify how sample processing affects parasite detection rates. We found that single field samples had elevated rates of false negatives. By contrast, samples collected from captivity over 24 h were highly reliable (few false negatives) and accurate (repeatable in the intensity of infection). In terms of methods, we found that the McMaster technique provided more repeatable estimates than the mini‐FLOTAC for S. amaculata eggs, and both techniques were largely equally suitable for Isospora oocysts. Our study shows that field samples are likely to be unreliable in accurately detecting the presence of parasites and, in particular, for estimating parasite loads in songbirds. We highlight important considerations for those designing host–parasite studies in captive or wild systems giving guidance that can help select suitable methods, minimize biases, and acknowledge possible limitations.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

The performance of field sampling for parasite detection in a wild passerine

Abdu

Chimento

Alarcón‐Nieto

et al. 2022

Ecology and Evolution

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“…are not uncommon in rabbits. They have been reported in the past, with different prevalence rates, in Greece [93], Germany [37,94,95], Finland [46], Turkey [96], Poland [5,36], Serbia [97], Italy [10], Australia [40], West Africa [98] and Kenya [45]. It is worth noting that in a previous study in Greece, all commercial rabbit farms examined were infected with P. ambiguus and Eimeria spp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

“…Finally, it is worth mentioning that anthelmintic resistance in gastrointestinal nematodes is on the rise across different animal species worldwide [98]. To combat this phenomenon, veterinarians should employ selective drug treatment strategies instead of broad-spectrum anthelmintics, such as targeted treatments (T.T.)…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deaths Due to Mixed Infections with Passalurus ambiguus, Eimeria spp. and Cyniclomyces guttulatus in an Industrial Rabbit Farm in Greece

Sioutas¹,

Evangelou²,

Vlachavas³

et al. 2021

Pathogens

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Domestic rabbits are commercially farmed for their meat whilst gastrointestinal diseases can hinder their production. Passalurus ambiguus and Eimeria spp. are two common rabbit intestinal parasites that can cause diarrhoea, among other symptoms, and in severe cases, death. C. guttulatus is a commensal yeast of the rabbits’ stomach that is considered apathogenic but can worsen symptoms in rabbits suffering from coccidiosis. In the present case report, we describe an outbreak of deaths in three different age groups (A: lactating does, B: 58 days old and C: 80 days old) in an industrial rabbit farm in Greece. Symptoms included depression, diarrhoea, inappetence, weight loss, dehydration and ruffled furs. Using a faecal flotation technique, sick rabbits were found to be moderately to heavily infected with P. ambiguus, Eimeria spp. and C. guttulatus. Treatment with fenbendazole and oregano oil combined with hygiene control measures successfully controlled the infections and resolved clinical symptoms. A faecal flotation method or other reliable diagnostic technique should be used regularly in industrial rabbit farms to screen for gastrointestinal parasitic infections. Early diagnosis and control will help to maintain production levels and, therefore, limit financial losses for the farmer while ensuring animal welfare.

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“…Several studies comparing the Mini-FLOTAC and the McMaster techniques have focused on strongyle egg counts. In ruminants, such comparisons have been performed on cattle samples ( Bosco et al., 2014 ; Dias de Castro et al., 2017 ; Paras et al., 2018 ; Amadesi et al., 2020 ; Elghryani et al., 2020 ), sheep samples ( Rinaldi et al., 2014 ; Kenyon et al., 2016 ; Bosco et al., 2018 ; Paras et al., 2018 ; Alowanou et al., 2021 ; Vieira et al., 2021 ), goat samples ( Silva et al., 2020 ; Alowanou et al., 2021 ; Vieira et al., 2021 ) and llama samples ( Paras et al., 2018 ). Eimeria spp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%