Improved veterinary diagnostics for tapeworms

狗可以感染几种绦虫，但没有明显的症状。绦虫通常通过检测狗粪便中的寄生虫产生的微小虫卵来诊断。然而，这种技术并不理想，因为卵并不总是通过粪便，不同的绦虫产生相似的卵，这需要有经验的诊断医生。因此，假阴性是常见的。有越来越多的兴趣，技术直接检测粪便中的寄生虫的DNA。Aquila诊断系统公司开发了一种用于兽医诊所的即时绦虫检测试剂盒，可快速检测绦虫的DNA（AccutasVET绦虫DNA试剂盒）。本试验的实用性尚未通过将该试验应用于已知感染已确认绦虫种属的犬科动物样本或含有可能交叉反应的其他寄生虫的样本得到证实。目前，该公司唯一能够验证新检测方法的方法是与传统的绦虫卵粪便漂浮法进行比较，这种方法本身就存在缺陷。我们可以接触到被捕获的野生犬科动物（狐狸、土狼和狼），我们将比较肠道绦虫回收、粪便漂浮法检测虫卵和AccutasVET绦虫DNA试剂盒的结果。由于野生犬科动物携带与狗相同种类的绦虫，这对兽医和兽医诊断实验室有重要的应用，可以快速诊断和治疗受感染的狗。这项工作也有影响，保护公众健康的一些绦虫在狗在加拿大（棘球绦虫属）。会导致严重的健康问题。因此，我们将专门比较theAquila产品的性能与拟议的新的欧洲金标准DNA为基础的多房棘球绦虫测试。我们的联合研究将有助于改进和优化Aquila AccutasVET产品，扩大该产品的应用和监管要求，并为新商业产品的开发奠定基础。最后，该研究项目将产生关于加拿大人和狗传播的寄生虫的分布和影响的新知识。

Dogs can be infected with several species of tapeworms, but show no obvious symptoms. Tapeworms aregenerally diagnosed by detection of microscopic eggs produced by the parasites that are passed in the dog'sstool. However, this technique is not ideal, as eggs are not always passed in stool, different tapeworms producevisually similar eggs, and this requires an experienced diagnostician. Therefore, false negatives are common.There is increasing interest in techniques to directly detect DNA of parasites in stool of dogs. AquilaDiagnostics Systems Inc. has developed a point of care tapeworm test for use in veterinary clinics that wouldenable rapid detection of DNA of tapeworms (the AccutasVET Tapeworm DNA kit). The utility of this test hasnot been confirmed by applying the test to samples from canids known to be infected with confirmed tapewormspecies, nor to samples that contain other parasites that could cross react. The only way the company cancurrently validate the new test is against traditional fecal flotation for tapeworm eggs, which is in itself flawed.We have access to trapped wild canids (foxes, coyotes, and wolves) for which we will compare results ofintestinal tapeworm recovery, egg detection on fecal flotation, and the AccutasVET Tapeworm DNA kit. Sincewild canids harbour the same species of tapeworms as dogs, this has important applications for veterinariansand veterinary diagnostic laboratories, allowing rapid diagnosis and treatment of infected dogs. This work alsohas implications for protecting public health as some tapeworms in dogs in Canada (Echinococcus spp.) cancause serious health problems in people. Consequently, we will specifically compare the performance of theAquila product with the proposed new European gold standard DNA-based test for Echinococcusmultilocularis. Our joint research will serve to improve and optimize the Aquila AccutasVET product, lead toexpanded applications and regulatory claims for this product, and lay the groundwork for development of newcommercial products. Finally, this research project will generate new knowledge on the distribution and impactof parasites transmissible to people and dogs in Canada.