Which method is used to diagnose tapeworm infections in small mammals?

• A. Cellophane tape test
• B. Blood smear
• C. Urine dipstick
• D. Fecal float

Answer: (A)

Diagnosing tapeworm infections in small mammals relies on finding tapeworm material in the animal’s feces. Tapeworm eggs are shed inside proglottids that pass with feces, so concentrating and inspecting stool is the most direct and sensitive way to detect cestodes. A fecal flotation uses a solution with high specific gravity to make eggs and segments rise to the surface for microscopic visualization, which is well suited for detecting tapeworm eggs and proglottids. In contrast, collecting material from the perianal skin with tape targets eggs laid by some nematodes (like pinworms) and is not routinely reliable for tapeworms, whose eggs are typically shed in feces rather than on the skin. Blood smears and urine tests don’t reveal intestinal cestodes. So, examining feces via flotation (or, if needed, sedimentation) is the standard approach for diagnosing tapeworm infections in small mammals.