Validation of the natural sedimentation technique in the diagnosis of chronic fasciolosis.

There are various diagnostic techniques available for chronic fasciolosis in ruminants. However, many of them exhibit low specificity and sensitivity, making them impractical for field use and in low-resource laboratories. The present study evaluates the usefulness of the Natural Sedimentation technique in diagnosing chronic fasciolosis in three domestic species conducted at the Laboratorio de Parasitología y Enfermedades Parasitarias, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinas, Universidad Nacional de Cajamarca. Fecal samples were collected from n = 323 cattle, n = 362 sheep, and n = 231 swine for Fasciola hepatica fecal egg counts. The visualization of adult parasites in animal livers post-mortem was considered the gold standard. Additionally, the sensitivity of the technique was evaluated using five different amounts of feces. In cattle, a sensitivity of 0.93 ± 0.03, specificity of 0.91 ± 0.06, positive predictive value of 0.96 ± 0.03, and negative predictive value of 0.86 ± 0.07 were obtained. In sheep, a sensitivity of 0.79 ± 0.05, specificity of 0.83 ± 0.07, positive predictive value of 0.90 ± 0.04, and negative predictive value of 0.66 ± 0.08 were observed. In swine, a sensitivity of 0.92 ± 0.06, specificity of 1.00 ± 0.00, positive predictive value of 1.00 ± 0.00, and negative predictive value of 0.96 ± 0.03 were found. There was no statistical difference in egg counts when using 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 g of feces (p = 0.907). Furthermore, 1 to 688 fecal eggs of F. hepatica were counted in 1 g of feces. The Natural Sedimentation technique has both qualitative and quantitative applications with satisfactory results when using 1 g of feces in the diagnosis of chronic fasciolosis in domestic animals. Due to its simplicity, it can be implemented in field conditions and low-resource laboratories.

Occurrence of paramphistomosis (Trematoda: Digenea) in sheep in northern Peru.

Cajamarca is an important Andean livestock production area located in northern Peru and at the same time endemic in a poorly studied disease known as paramphistomosis. The purpose of this research was to calculate the frequency of paramphistomids in sheep (Ovis aries) slaughtered in the Camal Municipal de Cajamarca, located in the city of Cajamarca. Between the months of February to September 2019, 386 samples of rumen-reticulum were collected that were later classified by age and origin of the animals. Transferred to the laboratory, the stomach contents were emptied; they were examined meticulously and exhaustively in order to find, collect and recognize the parasites adhering to the walls of the compartments. Nineteen samples were positive for Calicophoron microbothrioides in the rumen and none in the reticulum, thus obtaining a frequency of 4.92% in the presentation of paramphistomids in the sampled sheep. According to the origin, the town of Chanta presented a higher frequency with 9.09% and Bambamarca had the lowest frequency with 2.86%. In the age groups, sheep from 2 to 2.5 years old showed a 5.76% presence of paramphistomids and 3.33% of those 4 years old and older were positive. Pearson's correlation coefficient (r = -0.25473762) indicates that there is a low and inversely proportional negative relationship between age and frequency. Finally, with the Chi-square test, no significant difference was obtained between the place of origin and the number of positive cases.