IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., One IDEXX Drive, Westbrook, ME, USA.
Parasit Vectors. 2021 Mar 20;14(1):173. doi: 10.1186/s13071-021-04678-6.
Canine life stage is a key factor in parasite prevalence as clinical signs associated with parasitism are more common in pups. In adult dogs, health status and geographical region may also play a role in parasite prevalence. The purpose of this study was to evaluate fecal test results using zinc sulfate flotation by centrifugation combined with fecal antigen testing for hookworms (Ancylostoma spp. Uncinaria stenocephala), ascarids (Toxocara canis, Toxascaris spp., Baylisascaris spp.) and whipworms (Trichuris vulpis) sorted by age, geographical region and veterinary visit type.
A retrospective sample of intestinal parasite panels submitted to IDEXX Laboratories from 1,626,104 individual dogs were selected from the continental USA from 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2019. These data contain results from fecal exams performed using zinc sulfate flotation by centrifugation paired with coproantigen immunoassay results for hookworms, ascarids, whipworms and Giardia (Fecal Dx® with Giardia coproantigen immunoassay plate). For paired testing, if either the coproantigen assay or flotation test was positive, the sample was considered to be positive. Data were summarized by age category, U.S. Census Bureau geographical region (Northeast, South, Midwest, West) and veterinary visit type. Visit types were subdivided into Wellness Visits and Other Clinical Visits in which a fecal sample was submitted.
In dogs presenting for either Wellness Visits or Other Clinical Visits in which Giardia testing was included, Giardia had the highest positivity (combined results for microscopy and coproantigen: 12.2 and 10.8%, respectively), followed by hookworms (combined microscopy and coproantigen: 4.1 and 4.2%, respectively), ascarids (combined microscopy and coproantigen: 2.5 and 1.7%, respectively) and whipworms (combined microscopy and coproantigen: 1.1 and 1.4%, respectively). When all test results were pooled together, pups aged 2-6 months were observed to have the highest proportion of positive results by either microscopy or coproantigen immunoassay regardless of clinical visit type. Parasite positivity varied by geographical region. Regardless of visit type, age or geographical region, the coproantigen method was observed to find a higher proportion of positive test results than microscopy in Giardia, ascarids, hookworms and whipworms.
The Fecal Dx® coproantigen immunoassay combined with the zinc sulfate flotation by centrifugation method uncovers a higher number of positive hookworm, ascarid and whipworm infections than zinc sulfate flotation alone in both pups and adult dogs across all geographical regions of the USA regardless of visit type.
犬的生命阶段是寄生虫流行的关键因素，因为与寄生虫有关的临床症状在幼犬中更为常见。在成年犬中，健康状况和地理位置也可能影响寄生虫的流行率。本研究的目的是评估使用硫酸锌离心浮聚法结合粪便抗原检测犬钩虫（Ancylostoma spp.，Uncinaria stenocephala）、蛔虫（Toxocara canis，Toxascaris spp.，Baylisascaris spp.）和鞭虫（Trichuris vulpis）的粪便检测结果，这些寄生虫按年龄、地理位置和兽医就诊类型进行分类。
从美国大陆 2017 年 1 月 1 日至 2019 年 12 月 31 日期间，从 IDEXX 实验室提交的 1626104 份犬只肠道寄生虫检测面板中选择了粪便硫酸锌离心浮聚法与粪便抗原检测钩虫、蛔虫、鞭虫和贾第虫（Fecal Dx® with Giardia coproantigen immunoassay plate）的结果进行回顾性分析。对于配对检测，如果粪便抗原检测或浮聚试验中的任何一项呈阳性，则认为该样本呈阳性。数据按年龄类别、美国人口普查局地理位置（东北部、南部、中西部、西部）和兽医就诊类型进行总结。就诊类型分为进行贾第虫检测的健康检查就诊和其他临床就诊。
在进行健康检查就诊或其他临床就诊且包括贾第虫检测的犬中，贾第虫的阳性率最高（显微镜和粪便抗原检测的综合阳性率分别为 12.2%和 10.8%），其次是钩虫（显微镜和粪便抗原检测的综合阳性率分别为 4.1%和 4.2%）、蛔虫（显微镜和粪便抗原检测的综合阳性率分别为 2.5%和 1.7%）和鞭虫（显微镜和粪便抗原检测的综合阳性率分别为 1.1%和 1.4%）。当所有检测结果合并在一起时，无论是通过显微镜检查还是粪便抗原免疫检测，2-6 月龄幼犬的阳性结果比例最高，无论临床就诊类型如何。寄生虫的阳性率因地理位置而异。无论就诊类型、年龄或地理位置如何，粪便抗原检测方法在贾第虫、蛔虫、钩虫和鞭虫检测中发现的阳性检测结果比例均高于显微镜检查。
无论就诊类型如何，Fecal Dx®粪便抗原免疫检测联合硫酸锌离心浮聚法比单独使用硫酸锌浮聚法在包括美国所有地理位置的幼犬和成年犬中检测到的阳性钩虫、蛔虫和鞭虫感染数量更多。
