Comparison of efficacy of unconventional and conventional floatation fluids for recovery of ova of Toxocara canis from faeces of stray dogs

The efficacy of routinely used floatation fluids viz. sodium chloride, magnesium sulphate, sodium nitrate and zinc sulphate, were compared with 16 unconventional floatation fluids to recover mature and immature ova of Toxocara canis from dog faeces by Willis technique. There was great variation in the recovery of mature and immature eggs using different floatation fluids. Among the different floatation fluids used in the study, sodium sulphate (sp gr. 0.36) and sodium nitrate (sp gr. 1.13) were found very efficient to isolate the immature, mature and larvated ova of T. canis from faeces of dog, followed by magnesium chloride (sp gr. 0.40) and potassium iodide (sp gr. 0.31). Thus, selection of appropriate floatation fluid having precise specific gravity plays a significant role for recovery of both mature and immature ova of T. canis from dog faeces.