Diagnosis of Stilesia hepatica infection in sheep

A technique for examining faecal samples for Stilesia hepatica proglottids was assessed for diagnosis of this infection in live sheep. It detected infection in 67% of all the sheep that were confirmed infected by examining the livers during meat inspection and in 63% of sheep from a farm with a history of up to 100% infection rate at slaughter. It is 100% specific since it relied on the morphological identification of S. hepatica proglottids, which are characteristic. In addition it detected Avitellina centripunctata proglottids.