A comparison of the FECPAK and Mini-FLOTAC faecal egg counting techniques

•We compare the FECPAK and Mini-FLOTAC faecal egg count techniques.•Mini-FLOTAC has lower measurement error than FECPAK.•Mini-FLOTAC has better precision than FECPAK.•FECPAK significantly underestimates FEC at egg densities below 500 epg.•Mini-FLOTAC is a reliable alternative diagnostic tool.

Faecal egg counts (FECs) are used for detecting and quantifying nematode infections and are the basis for determining drug efficacy and anthelmintic resistance in faecal egg count reduction tests (FECRTs). Currently, several FEC techniques are available for detecting and quantifying eggs of sheep nematodes. A comparison of the egg counts from the FECPAK (with a minimum detection limit of 30 eggs per gram (epg)) and Mini-FLOTAC (with a minimum detection limit of 5 epg) showed better diagnostic performance with Mini-FLOTAC in terms of measurement error (level of over- or under-estimation of FEC) and precision (variability in FEC). A tendency to under-estimate FEC was observed with the FECPAK particularly at egg densities of less than 500 epg. It is concluded that Mini-FLOTAC is a reliable diagnostic tool offering reduced measurement error and a higher level of precision.