Detection of Cystoisospora suis in faeces of suckling piglets – when and how? A comparison of methods

Background Cystoisospora suis is the causative agent of porcine neonatal coccidiosis, a diarrheal disease which affects suckling piglets in the first weeks of life. Detection of oocysts in the faeces of infected animals is frequently hampered by the short individual excretion period and the high fat content of faecal samples. We analysed oocyst excretion patterns of infected piglets, evaluated different detection methods for their detection limit and reproducibility, and propose a sampling scheme to improve the diagnosis of C. suis in faecal samples from the field using a protocol for reliable parasite detection.