Publication details
Evaluating coprological methods for detecting Ashworthius sidemi in red deer: Implications for diagnosis and management
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| Year of publication | 2024 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Citation | |
| Description | Despite the advancements of molecular detection methods in recent decades, coprology remains the method of choice for the diagnosis of gastrointestinal parasites due to its low financial, time, and personnel experience requirements. In the case of free-ranging ruminants, it can serve as a tool for studies of parasite distribution and ecology. From a practical point of view, it can also be used by veterinarians for examinations prior to animal transport and as a decisive criterion for the administration of anthelmintic drugs. To assess the detection sensitivity of coprological methods, we examined red deer (n=20) hunted in the Židlov game reserve from autumn 2022 to spring 2023. Fecal samples were collected postmortem from all individuals and divided into three subsamples for analysis using the McMaster method and three subsamples using the Miniflotac method. A total number of 120 samples were coprologically examined. The gastro intestinal tracts of the animals were then subjected to parasitological necropsy for determination and quantification of strongylid nematodes and detected worm counts were compared to the results of both coprological approaches. The comparison of examined subsamples within each flotation method, using the intraclass correlation (ICC), indicated a moderate level of agreement among subsamples examined by the McMaster method (ICC=0.4, CI95=0.11-0.67). In contrast, examinations by the Mini-Flotac showed a precise level of agreement (ICC=0.97, CI95=0.95 0.98). The necropsy findings consistently revealed the predominance of the invasive species Ashworthius sidemi, comprising 82-92% of the strongylids captured across all observed periods, with a prevalence of 100% and an average infection intensity of 1,023 individuals (CI95=168-1,878). While Mini-Flotac showed a relatively high overall sensitivity of 86% (CI95=0.75-0.93) with a moderate decrease in autumn (73%, CI95=0.55-0.85), the McMaster method exhibited an overall sensitivity of 57.8% (CI95=0.45-0.69), with a notable decrease (33%, CI95=0.19-0.51) in autumn 2022. This observation suggests a high probability of false negative diagnostic results obtained by coprological methods when propagation of parasites tends to decrease. This may lead to their underestimation and subsequent undesirable spread, especially in the case of the invasive species A. sidemi. These findings emphasize the importance of using more sensitive diagnostic methods and taking parasite biology into account when interpreting coprological examination outcomes. |
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