An updating on Cryptosporidium parvum in the water buffalo

A cross-sectional survey of Cryptosporidium parvum infection in the water buffalo was carried out in central Italy. The survey was carried out on a sample of 90 farms, selected using a grid approach within a Geographical Information System, followed by proportional allocation. On each farm, faecal samples were collected from three to five asymptomatic buffalo calves, aged from 1 to 9 weeks (total number = 347). Each sample was tested for the presence of copro-antigens of C. parvum using a commercially available ELISA. Out of the 90 farms, 22 (24.4%) resulted positive. With respect to animals, out of the 347 faecal samples, 51 (14.7%) were found to have antigens of C. parvum. The results of the logistic regression model showed a positive association between the positivity to C. parvum and the high number of buffaloes on farms

Mini-FLOTAC for the diagnosis of Eimeria infection in goats: An alternative to McMaster

Caprine coccidiosis is responsible for remarkable economic losses. Diagnosis must therefore take into account a number of epidemiological and clinical factors supported by laboratory investigations. The detection of Eimeria oocysts and the determination of oocysts per gram of faeces (OPG) require a trustworthy oocyst count technique. Mini-FLOTAC is a new apparatus from the FLOTAC family, which was designed for optimal examination of faecal sample suspensions in each flotation chamber (total volume = 2 mL) and which permits a maximum magnification of 400x. Faecal samples from sixteen goats reared in an intensive goat farm were qualitatively (simple flotation) and quantitatively analyzed. A comparison between McMaster (McM) and Mini-FLOTAC was carried out, by performing 288 different readings. Eimeria arloingi, E. caprovina and E. ninakohlyakimovae were the most prevalent species. The mean OPG detected by Mini-FLOTAC was higher than the values observed with McMaster techniques (P0.05) but lower than those resulted from McM 0.3 mL. Thereby, the present study suggests that the Mini-FLOTAC is a promising technique for detecting and counting Eimeria spp. in goat faeces

Mini-FLOTAC for the diagnosis of Eimeria infection in goats: an alternative to McMaster

Caprine coccidiosis is responsible for remarkable economic losses. Diagnosis must therefore take into account a number of epidemiological and clinical factors supported by laboratory investigations. The detection of Eimeria oocysts and the determination of oocysts per gram of faeces (OPG) require a trustworthy oocyst count technique. Mini-FLOTAC is a new simple and easy-to-use apparatus from the FLOTAC family. The present study was aimed at investigating whether Mini-FLOTAC could be an alternative to McMaster for the diagnosis of Eimeria spp. in goats. Faecal samples from 16 goats reared in an intensive goat farm were qualitatively (simple flotation) and quantitatively analyzed. A comparison between McMaster (McM 1 mL and McM 0.3 mL) and Mini-FLOTAC was carried out, by performing 288 different readings (6 replicates for each of the 3 techniques). Eimeria arloingi, Eimeria caprovina and Eimeria ninakohlyakimovae were the most prevalent species. The mean (and median) OPG detected by Mini-FLOTAC was higher than the values observed with McMaster techniques (P < 0.05). Mini-FLOTAC also produced coefficient of variations similar to those resulted from McM 1 mL (19.4 versus 17.5; P > 0.05) but lower than those resulted from McM 0.3 mL. The findings of the present study suggest that the Mini-FLOTAC is a promising technique for detecting and counting Eimeria spp. in goat faeces

The parasitological scenario in sheep farms in the Basilicata region (southern Italy)

Epidemiological diffusion of parasitosis in Basilicata rappresenting with the Geographical Information System