Key result
Moving uninfected pigs to clean pens completely eliminates false-positive egg counts driven by coprophagia.
Why the study?
Does moving non-infected pigs to clean pens reduce false-positive Trichuris suis egg counts caused by coprophagia?
Does moving non-infected pigs to clean pens reduce false-positive Trichuris suis egg counts caused by coprophagia?
False-positive faecal egg counts in non-infected pigs can result from coprophagia when housed with infected pigs, which resolves upon moving to clean pens.
Coprophagia confounds fecal egg counts in group-housed pigs; leaves open accurate parasitological methods for swine research.
Sixteen non-infected control pigs housed together with 16 pigs infected with Trichuris suis, excreted T. suis eggs in their faeces (range 20-4, 960 eggs per gram faeces (EPG)). When the control pigs were moved to clean pens, their egg counts dropped to zero EPG within five days. A significant correlation was found between T. suis egg counts of infected and control pigs penned together (r = 0.89, P < 0.001). These results suggest that false-positive faecal egg counts may be the result of coprophagia.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Boes et al. (1998) studied Trichuris suis infection (n=32). Co-housing with T. suis infected pigs vs. Housing in clean pens was evaluated on Correlation of T. suis egg counts between infected and control pigs penned together (r = 0.89, p=<0.001). Uninfected pigs housed with Trichuris suis-infected pigs excreted up to 4,960 eggs/g feces, dropping to zero when moved to clean pens, showing false-positive counts due to coprophagia (r=0.89).
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: