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When it comes to equine parasite egg counts, let your phone do the work!
New technology allows in the field quantification of parasite burden so you can get on with treatment.
Equine practitioners will soon have another option for counting parasite eggs in patients' fecal samples. Parasight, a smartphone app and test kit, aims to offer a simple to use, quick and accurate alternative to traditional slide-count testing. The test allows for onsite testing, with results delivered via the app, email or text messaging to the veterinarian and client in less than five minutes. The technology is projected to hit the market in the second half of 2016, the company says.
Prototype image of the prep bottle. Photo courtesy of Parasight and Zoetis
The test
The system consists of the Parasight app, Parasight egg separator, Signal Hybridization Technology (SIGHT) processor and Parasight imaging unit. The imaging unit wirelessly transmits data to the app to display the results.
Prototype image of the reagent dispenser. Photo courtesy of Parasight and Zoetis.
In three steps, the test can be run onsite, eliminating the wait time of sending a sample off to a laboratory or the need for a centrifuge and microscope. Veterinarians simply collect the fecal sample, pass it through a filter system and stain the eggs with the SIGHT reagent. The final step is to image the sample. The reagent causes the eggs to "glow," and the software in the app does all the counting work, allowing clinicians and clients to make treatment recommendations on the spot.
The company projects the testing kits will be affordable, at around $10 per test, and it will be manufactured and distributed in partnership with Zoetis.
Prototype image of the imaging unit. Photo courtesy of Parasight and Zoetis
The app
The Parasight System App (free, iOs and Android compatible) allows veterinarians to manage and review client test results and provides access to data trends in the surrounding area about parasite outbreaks and drug resistance. The test results are archived securely, and the patient's record is available through the app or a download through the company's web portal.
