Effectiveness of the proposed method for preparation and staining of fecal smears during laboratory diagnostics of giardiasis in dogs
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31210/spi2026.29.01.31Keywords:
dogs, giardiasis, laboratory diagnostics, smears, staining, performance indicatorsAbstract
Giardia duodenalis is an important gastrointestinal pathogen in dogs as well as humans. The prevalence of giardiasis varies depending on the age, clinical condition, housing, and geographic region of the animals examined, as well as the laboratory method used to detect the pathogen. For the diagnosis of protozoosis, microscopic methods for rapid detection of cysts and trophozoites, immunological and molecular modern methods with high sensitivity and specificity are used. At the same time, improving microscopy technology, which can increase the efficiency of diagnosing giardiasis, reducing time and costs, is a relevant area of research. The aim of the research was to test the proposed method of preparing and staining fecal smears for microscopic detection of the causative agent of giardiasis in dogs. The research was conducted in the conditions of the Private Veterinary Clinic "ZooLux" (Kyiv) and the Laboratory of Parasitology of the Poltava State Agrarian University (Poltava). The method of making wet smears using saline solution, the method using iodine-glycerin solution, and the proposed method were tested in a comparative aspect. The high diagnostic sensitivity of the proposed method was established, which ensured 100 % detection of the pathogen in samples taken from dogs. In terms of the intensity of invasion, the proposed method exceeded the effectiveness of the method using iodine-glycerin solution by 7.2 % and the method of making wet smears using saline solution by 1.6 times (P<0.001). It was determined that the advantage of the proposed method of preparing and staining dog feces smears during laboratory diagnostics of giardiasis is the possibility of their long-term storage and transportation. This allows obtaining reliable results, even with delayed testing, while maintaining stable pathogen morphology and high quality smear staining. The obtained research results allow us to recommend the proposed method of staining dog feces smears to increase the efficiency of giardies detection.
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