Improving the sensitivity of gastrointestinal helminth detection using the Mini-FLOTAC technique in wild birds

Abstract

High-performance validated tests are essential for successful epidemiological monitoring, surveillance of parasitic infections, and comparative studies in wildlife populations. The Mini-FLOTAC is a novel otationbased technique for the sensitive detection and quanti cation of gastrointestinal parasites that is recently being explored for use in wildlife. A limitation of any otation-based copromicroscopic method is the selection of the otation solution (FS), which might in uence the performance of the test. However, no study has compared the in uence of using different FS in the Mini-FLOTAC technique for parasite detection in wild birds. Here, we evaluated the diagnostic performance of the Mini-FLOTAC in three waterbird host species using two widely used FS: saturated salt (NaCl; speci c gravity 1.20) and saturated zinc sulfate (ZnSO 4 ; speci c gravity 1.35). One hundred fresh fecal samples were analyzed for parasite fecal egg counts (FEC). Regardless of the host species, fecal samples evaluated with the Mini-FLOTAC method using ZnSO 4 resulted in a signi cantly higher detection rate and higher FEC of strongylid, capillarid, cestode, and trematode parasites, than samples analyzed with the NaCl solution. Our concise study demonstrated the importance of using an appropriate FS for the identi cation of parasite eggs in wildlife species, especially in hosts with an expected aggregated distribution and low parasite load such as waterbird hosts. The higher analytical sensitivity of the Mini-FLOTAC technique achieved with ZnSO 4 , and its applicability to eldwork, highlights this method as a promising tool for the quantitative surveillance of parasite infections in wild bird populations.

Epidemiology of protozoan and helminthic parasites in wild passerine birds of Britain and Ireland

“…Additionally, we only used morphological analysis to identify species, using a single detection technique. The detection of trematode and eimeriid species could have been improved through sedimentation with salt or sugar solutions and sporulation, respectively, and may explain our low rates of detection of these taxa (Lobos-Ovalle et al ., 2021 ; Abdu et al ., 2022 ). More sensitive identification techniques, such as polymerase chain reaction followed by sequencing, used alongside morphological analyses, would allow the identification of specific parasite strains to confirm whether cross-species parasite transmission may be occurring (Nadler and De León, 2011 ; Perkins et al ., 2011 ).…”

Gastrointestinal parasite assemblages from the wild rodent capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) inhabiting a natural protected area from Argentina

“…In the particular case of the MF method, MF has proven to be an innovative, sensitive, and cost-effective technique for diagnosing intestinal helminths, particularly in veterinary parasitology. In recent years, numerous studies have highlighted its potential for quantitatively monitoring parasite infections in wildlife populations (Alvarado-Villalobos et al 2017; Catalano et al 2019; Lobos-Ovalle et al 2021; Coker et al 2020; Marcer et al 2022; Johnson et al 2022), including rodents (Carrera-Jativa et al 2023; Catalano et al 2019; Lima et al 2017). Specifically in rodent studies, FLOTAC and Mini-FLOTAC have emerged as sensitive and reliable tools for conducting future studies, reducing the need for lethal sampling methods and facilitating the comparison of communities and epidemiology over time.…”

“…It is a more sensitive, precise, and accurate methodology. A simplified version, the Mini-FLOTAC technique, involves fewer preparation steps and is employed for routine parasitological diagnosis in various animal species (Barda et al 2013a,b; Maurelli et al 2014; Alvardo-Villalobos et al 2017; Lobos-Ovalle et al 2021; Coker et al 2020; Marcer et al 2022; Johnson et al 2022), including rodents (Catalano et al 2019; Carrera-Jativa et al 2023; Lima et al 2017). However, there still is a lack of consensus on the optimal protocol for diagnosing coccidia and helminth infections in resource-scarce settings, a common challenge when studying many wild mammals.…”

Effectiveness of the improved method of lifelong diagnostics trichurosis of sheep

“…Several methods are used in practical conditions, mainly based on egg-floating principles. These are flotation methods and their modifications, which are based on the principle of the difference in the specific gravity of eggs and hypertonic saline solutions (Knopp et al, 2009;Dakhno & Dakhno, 2010;Lobos-Ovalle et al, 2021). At the same time, a significant number of researchers propose improved, more modern, and effective methods of coproovoscopy for individual parasitosis (Yevstafieva, 2007a;Manoilo & Yevstafieva, 2016;Starodub, 2019).…”