[Role of goat in transmission of schistosomiasis japonica III Development of goat feces collector and optimization of fecal hatching technique].

OBJECTIVE

To develop a simple, feasible goat feces collector to improve the collection accuracy and integrity of goat fecal samples without pollution, and to modify the miracidium hatching test with a plastic tube to achieve simple, standard and comparative procedures, so as to provide technical support for pathogenic diagnosis and scientific research of goat schistosomiasis japonica.

METHODS

According to the body features of goat in marshland regions, a goat fecal collector, which was made of coarse fabric cottons, was devised, which was able to be fixed onto the goat buttocks and avoid urine pollution. Prior to miracidium hatching test, the goat fecal samples were pieced by using a mechanical method instead of the conventional artificial piecing method, and the effect of mechanical piecing treatment on miracidium hatching was evaluated. A filter membrane was added between the tube and rubbery ring to block the floater in fecal residues into the tube. The effects on miracidium hatching by using thin fat-free cotton, thick fat-free cotton, nylon gauze at 100 pores/25.4 mm and 150 pores/25.4 mm were compared.

RESULTS

The goat feces collector was composed of foreleg fixing garment, hindleg fixing garment and stool bag. The functions of the fixing garment were as a fixed collector to allow non-shift and tolerance of weight during goat activity, while the major function of stool bag was in storage of stool. The goat activity did not affect by the use of collector, and all fecal samples were excreted to the bag. This collector was easy to perform and could avoid urine pollution, which was reusable after cleaning. Prior to miracidium hatching, the goat fecal samples, together with water, were pieced at 18000 to 23000 r/min for successive three times in a cooking machine, of 10 s each time at an interval of 5 s. Mechanical piecing had no clear-cut effect on miracidium hatching of eggs in fecal samples. A total of 541, 620, 344 and 211 miracidia were detected by using the miracidium hatching test with nylon gauze at 100 pores/25.4 mm and 150 pores/25.4 mm, thin fat-free cotton and thick fat-free cotton respectively, indicating a better detection efficacy by using nylon gauze at 100 pores/25.4 mm and 150 pores/25.4 mm.

CONCLUSIONS

The goat fecal collector is a easy-to-perform, accurate, unpolluted and reusable device to collect goat feces, which is suitable for pathogenic diagnosis of goat schistosomiasis. Mechanical piecing and use of nylon gauze at 150 pores/25.4 mm allow a simple, accurate and stable technique for parasitological diagnosis of schistosomiasis japonica, which provides a reliable tool for schistosomiasis control and research.