Comparison of the mini-FLOTAC and Modified McMaster Methods for enumeration of Ascaridia galli eggs in chicken excreta

Abstract

Excreta egg counting techniques can provide valuable information for assessing flock infection levels, selecting nematode resistant chicken breeds and for determining anthelmintic efficacy. Although the Modified McMaster (MDM) method has been used for a long time, it is generally considered to have low sensitivity and precision (Das et al., 2020). The Mini-FLOTAC (MF) is a more recently developed commercial flotation method for excreta which could be a good alternative to replace MDM. The aim of this study was to compare the MF to the traditional MDM for their sensitivity, accuracy and precision using egg spiked chicken excreta samples. Time spent on sample processing and operator factors was also evaluated.