title: A comparison of mini-FLOTAC and FLOTAC with classic methods to diagnosing intestinal parasites of dogs from Brazil.
abstract: Dogs may be affected by different species of gastrointestinal parasites which present great importance in veterinary medicine and public health. Several techniques to diagnosing these parasites have been proposed, but different performances achieved by each method make difficult the choice of the best technique to be used. In this study, the performance of two classic methods (i.e., Willis and Hoffman techniques) and two recent techniques (i.e., FLOTAC and Mini-FLOTAC) to diagnosing gastrointestinal parasites of dogs was evaluated. Fecal samples (n = 127) of dogs divided in pools (n = 30) were collected and analyzed using four different techniques (see above). Eggs and/or oocysts of gastrointestinal parasites were detected in 93.3 % (28/30) of the samples. In particular, 20 % (6/30) were detected through the method of Hoffman, 53.3 % (16/30) by the Willis technique, and 63.3 % (19/30) and 90 % (27/30) by Mini-FLOTAC and FLOTAC, respectively. Ancylostomatidae, Trichuris vulpis and Toxocara canis were the most frequent parasites herein detected. The FLOTAC and Mini-FLOTAC techniques were the most efficient tools to detect eggs and/or oocysts of gastrointestinal parasites of dogs, therefore their use is recommended in the laboratorial routine of veterinary medicine. This study is the first report of the use of both techniques (i.e., FLOTAC and Mini-FLOTAC) to diagnosing parasites of dogs in Brazil.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.
authors.forename: Victor Fernando Santana
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cringoli
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rinaldi
authors.forename: Maria Fernanda Melo
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.forename: Andréa Maria Campos
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Calado
authors.forename: Rafael Antonio Nascimento
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Patrícia Oliveira
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Meira-Santos
authors.forename: Leucio Câmara
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Alves
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000379:methods; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D033661:Oocysts; D010271:Parasites / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017166:Toxocara canis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014258:Trichuris / Q000302:isolation & purification