FECR Test

The EggsAct Faecal Egg Count Kit enables you to conduct unlimited Faecal Egg Count Reduction (FECR) Tests. The results of a FECRT tell you if the tested wormer or drench is working (whether it kills the worms). A FECRT is considered the gold standard for detecting anthelmintic resistance (resistance of worms to a wormer or drench). It is recommended that all drug classes used on a property be tested to determine whether they are working.

A FECR test involves conducting a FEC test before and after treatment with the wormer or drench and calculating the percentage reduction in egg count following administration of the drug. If the FECR falls below specified threshold values, anthelmintic resistance should be suspected.

However, it is important to rule out other causes of decreased drug effectiveness, such as incorrect dose, mis-dosing, inappropriate storage etc. For any drug class that is revealed as effective after the initial FECR test, its continuing effectiveness should be evaluated regularly, preferably annually, by further FECR tests.

For farm livestock, a quick way to check the efficacy of a drench on your property is to conduct a post-drench check (10-14 days after drenching). A post-drench check is not as informative as a FECR test, as you are not able to calculate the percentage reduction in egg count following drenching. However, it involves less work, as FEC testing in only conducted post drenching and not pre drenching, and is still a useful indicator of drench efficacy.