COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF COPROOVOSCOPIC DIAGNOSTICS METHODS OF SHEEP DIGESTIVE TRACT NEMATODOSES

Abstract

Diagnostic studies are an important component in a complex of measures aimed at achieving epizootic
safety concerning parasitic animal diseases. At present, a large number of diagnostic methods and ways
have been developed in the world, and they are divided into post-mortem and life-time. In their turn, the latter
are divided into qualitative and quantitative. It should be noted that quantitative methods of diagnosing
animal invasion diseases enable to assess objectively the level of the organism parazitation by a specific
causal agent. Therefore, the development of effective and ergonomic methods of quantitative coproovoscopic
diagnostics remains an urgent issue. In connection with the above mentioned the objective of the conducted
research was to determine the effectiveness of well-known and improved methods of coproovoscopic diagnostics
of sheep digestive tract nematodoses. The work was carried out in the Laboratory of the Department
of Parasitology and Veterinary-Sanitary Expert Examination of Poltava State Agrarian Academy. Experimentally
it was established that the improved method of quantitative coproovoscopic diagnostics of sheep
digestive tract nematodoses turned out to be more effective, than the prototype method, as to the number of
positive samples by 14.3 % and the number of found nematode eggs in the tested sample – by 18.5 %. High
indices of diagnostic effectiveness were confirmed during production tests when comparing the improved
method with the methods of analogues and prototype (Stoll, 1959; Trach, 1992; Liashenko et al., 2012; Taylor
et al., 2015). According to the number of positive samples, the method was more effective by 8.0–44.0;
concerning the minimal and maximal indices of the number of found nematode eggs in 1g of faeces the improved
method was correspondingly by 14.3–80.9 % and 4.4–90.5 % more effective. According to the average
number of nematode eggs in the sample as compared with the analogous methods: of Liashenko et al.
the effectiveness was by 86.9 % higher, of Trach – by 37.9 %, and of Stoll – by 27.7 % higher, and by the
prototype method – by 5.9 %. Analyzing the process of microscopy of the preparations made by different
methods, it was found that the samples made in an improved way were the most convenient for the study. In
the microscopic field, the smallest amount of foreign residues and air bubbles was detected, which did not
interfere with the process of microscopy and the calculation of invasive elements.