Worm egg count app promises rapid results

An app-based diagnostic tool for internal parasites promises that farmers will have faecal egg count (FEC) results back within half an hour of testing.

The test – from Dublin-based Micron Agritech and launched in the UK this winter – analyses video taken on farmers’ phones to detect gastrointestinal parasites, rumen fluke and liver fluke.

 Micron Agritech claims to return results in an average of 12 minutes.

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How it works:

1. The testing kit is bought by the vet/merchant/prescriber, who then buys test credits to access testing on the app
2. Farmers download the Micron Kit app from the App Store or Google Play Store
3. A sample of dung (individual or pooled) is videoed and sent to the vet/merchant/prescriber who has the Micron kit
4. The parasite eggs in the sample are counted using artificial intelligence algorithms
5. A report is generated on the parasites found and the burden of infection, which can be used by the farmer to decide whether to treat.

Looks quick and easy

Leading liver fluke expert Dr Philip Skuce of the Moredun Research Institute welcomed the technology, particularly the apparent speed and ease of the system. 

But he stressed that such FEC tests could only detect the presence of adult egg-laying parasites, which are already typically 10-12 weeks old. 

To catch infection at an earlier stage, farmers would need to use blood tests and coproantigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay tests for liver fluke.

These can detect fluke two to three weeks earlier than egg counts, according to the National Animal Disease Information Service. 

Philip said the process for egg extraction from the faeces looked “slick”, and possibly quicker than standard FEC protocols.

And floating eggs in zinc sulphate (rather than sedimentation in water) looked promising, although the samples would need careful disposal. 

He added: “Anything to encourage farmers to do more diagnostic testing for fluke has to be a good thing, if it’s done well and interpreted correctly, which both this method and [Techion’s] FekpakG2 should facilitate.”