Comparing McMaster and Mini-FLOTAC for endoparasites diagnostic in goats

Article history The Brazil Northeast region has the higher goat national herd with the endoparasitosis as one of the main factors interfering in these productive chain. Aiming to compare diagnostic techniques to quantify goats endoparasites eggs and oocysts. Eggs and oocysts recovered from feces were identified from 45 goats, Capra aegagrus hircus, by counting eggs per gram of feces (EPG) McMaster (conversion factors 100x and 25x) and Mini-FLOTAC (conversion factors 5x and 10x). The statistical analysis were performed in the SPSS program version 21.0 and the statistical differences and accordance between the techniques, by Friedman (p<0.05) and kappa (p-value), respectively. Eggs from Strongylida, Strongyloides sp., Trichuris sp. and Eimeria sp were identified. The coproparasitological methods applied were efficient in quantifying and identifying recovered eggs and oocysts. Although the similarity and accordance among techniques regarding the Eimeria sp. oocysts, the McMaster 25x; Mini-FLOTAC 5x and Mini-FLOTAC 10x were the methods that better recovered such oocysts. The Strongylida eggs were equally recovered by all the techniques. The Strongyloides sp. eggs were better recovered by the McMaster 25x; McMaster 100x and MiniFLOTAC 5x techniques; and the Trichuris sp. by McMaster 100x. Considering that both techniques used in this work were capable on recovering every eggs and oocysts, both can be adopted for coproparasitological diagnostic in goats. Received 15 July 2020 Accepted 24 August 2020


INTRODUCTION
The goats herd is an economic activity that has been standing out in the northeastern Brazil, due to its rusticity and adaptability to the semiarid conditions. However, the gastrointestinal endoparasites has generated high economic losses, which has intensified especially because of the parasite resistance development in herds, condition that may culminate in increasing animal deaths. Factors such as drugs misuse, added to endoparasites inefficient exams, have increased these serious problems in the productive sector of sheep and goats (AHID et al., 2008;AHID et al., 2009;PEREIRA et al., 2017;MAGALHÃES, 2018).
Aiming to prevent serious problems in this productive scope it is indispensable the sensitive and exclusive diagnostic for the small ruminants gastrointestinal endoparasites. The small ruminants coproparasitology can work as good pointer of the infection level by gastrointestinal parasites in sheep and goats, helping in implementing appropriate management measures enabling the parasite control in these herds (RINALDI et al., 2014;RAHAL et al., 2020).
In the laboratorial routine, it must always be choosing an eggs and oocysts detection method with high sensibility and with simple and fast execution, besides of having a low operational value. In this context, some studies have evaluated the adaptation of such existent techniques in order to obtain an animal parasitosis diagnostic improvement, such as the small ruminants (CHAGAS et al., 2011;RINALDI et al., 2014;CRINGOLI et al., 2017).
Several analysis techniques are used in the coproparasitological practice in goats. However, it is known that although there are techniques able to detect by themselves the animal real parasitism, most of the times, using only a single technique doesn´t provide the host real parasitic charge, especially when co-infections are observed. However, in a laboratorial routine, it is not always possible performing many diagnostic techniques for a single fecal sample, in order to the economic viability and the time, as well (VIEIRA et al., 2018).
Among the available coproparasitological techniques that enable observing protozoa oocysts and nematode eggs, there are those by McMaster flotation (CHAGAS et al., 2011;GORDON;WHITLOCK, 1939) and Mini-FLOTAC (CRINGOLI et al., 2017). However, it´s been observed differences in eggs and oocysts accounting among these techniques and even in the found parasites diversity.
Thus, it turns indispensable an evaluation study of analysis techniques for fecal eggs and oocysts accounting, aiming to identify the most adequate for the coproparasitological diagnostic routine in such hosts. Eggs and oocysts were identified by morphology (HOFMANN, 1987;FOREYT, 2005). The obtained data were analyzed by the statistical program SPSS, version 21.0. statistical differences among the groups were verified by the Friedman test and then, the concordances after applying the Kappa test were analyzed. Values of p<0.05 were considered as significant.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The recovered eggs analysis by the samples simple frequency ( Brazil (AHID et al., 2008;FONSECA et al., 2011). Regarding the Kappa concordance values, among the studied techniques, it was observed that there was a moderated to strong concordance, therefore considered as similar (Table 3).

CONCLUSIONS
Considering that both flotation techniques used in the present study resulted in equal capability on detecting the presence of Strongylida eggs and Eimeria sp. oocysts, both the McMaster technique and using the Mini-FLOTAC, with their respective conversion factors, can be adopted in the coproparasitological diagnostic in goats.