Acta Vet. Brno 2026, 95: 245-250
Evaluation of Flukefinder® and coproantigen ELISA as alternatives to sedimentation for detecting Fasciola hepatica in sheep
, Maab Ibrahim Al-Farwachi2
1Veterinary Hospital in Nineveh, Veterinary Directorate, Mosul, Iraq
2University of Mosul, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Internal and Preventive Medicine, Mosul, Iraq
Received April 4, 2025
Accepted September 7, 2026
The goals of the current research were to assess the frequency of Fasciola hepatica infestation (FHI) in sheep with different diagnostic procedures. In addition, a comparison was made of the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of standard sedimentation (SS), (as a reference coprodiagnostic method) with the recently developed commercial kits (coproantigen enzyme linked immunosorbent assay [C Ag ELISA] and Flukefinder® [FF] instruments as methods for effective detection of FHI). A total of 92 faecal specimens were obtained from animals naturally infested with FH (46 ewes and rams each) in diverse regions of Mosul, Iraq. The frequencies of FHI were 15.2%, 16.3%, and 20.6% with (SS), (FF) and (C Ag ELISA), respectively. According to the statistical analysis, the diagnosis of helminthic infection in both FF and C Ag ELISA were equally accurate techniques (accuracy of FF = 96.7%, confidence interval [CI] = 90.8–99.3, and Kappa value [κ] = 0.877), whereas the accuracy of C Ag ELISA = 94.6, CI = 87.8–0.78, and κ = 0.816). FF had higher specificity and positive predictive values, whereas C Ag ELISA had the highest sensitivity and negative predictive values. In conclusion, sheep in Mosul, Iraq, frequently have FHI. However, for the routine diagnosis (SS) of FHI, it is advised to employ either FF or C Ag ELISA as an alternative.
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Funding
This study is part of a MSc. thesis approved by the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Mosul, Iraq.
