title: Modified use of methylene blue in the tissue compression technique to detect sarcocysts in meat-producing animals.
abstract: Sarcocystosis in meat-producing animals is a major cause of reduced productivity in many countries, especially those that rely on agriculture. Although several diagnostic methods are available to detect sarcocystosis, many are too time-consuming for routine use in abattoirs and meat inspection centers, where large numbers of samples need to be tested. This study aimed to compare the sensitivity of the methylene blue tissue preparation, unstained tissue preparation and nested PCR in the detection of sarcocysts in tissue samples. Approximately three-fold more sarcocysts were detected in methylene blue-stained tissue compared to unstained controls (McNemar's test: P<0.01). Test sensitivity was comparable to that of the gold standard for sarcocyst detection, nested polymerase chain reaction. These results suggest that methylene blue can be used in tissue compression as a rapid, safe, and inexpensive technique for the detection of ruminant sarcocystosis in abattoirs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Yit Han
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Vellayan
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Subramaniam
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Electronic address: lauyeeling@um.edu.my.
authors.forename: Yee Ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Lau
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005506:Food Contamination; D005513:Food Inspection; D008460:Meat / Q000469:parasitology*; D008751:Methylene Blue; D011634:Public Health; D012522:Sarcocystis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012523:Sarcocystosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013194:Staining and Labeling
chemical_list: D008751:Methylene Blue
keywords: Methylene blue; Sarcocystosis; Tissue; Tissue compression technique