Abstract
Options for diagnosing Fasciola hepatica infection in groups of cattle are limited. Increasing the opportunities for herd-level diagnosis is important for disease monitoring, making informed treatment decisions and for flukicide efficacy testing. The sensitivity of a simple sedimentation method based on composite faecal samples for the detection of fluke eggs in cattle was assessed through a combination of experimental and statistical modelling techniques. Initially, a composite sample method previously developed for sheep was used to investigate the sensitivity of composite sample testing compared with individual counts on the same samples in cattle. Following this, an optimised, validated, qualitative (presence-absence) composite sample field test was developed for cattle. Results showed that fluke egg counts obtained from a composite sample are representative of those expected from individual counts. The optimal sampling strategy was determined to be 10 individual 10 g samples (100 g composite sample) from which a 10 g subsample is taken for sedimentation. This method yielded a diagnostic sensitivity of 0.69 (95 per cent CI 0.5 to 0.85). These results demonstrate the validity and usefulness of a composite faecal egg sedimentation method for use in the diagnosis and control of F. hepatica in groups of cattle, with the caveat that a negative test should be followed up with a second test due to limitations relating to test sensitivity.