DNA-based quantification and counting of transmission stages provides different but complementary parasite load estimates: an example from rodent coccidia (Eimeria)

Table 1 Predicted models of host health by Eimeria DNA and oocysts in faeces

Models	Estimate	Standard error	t-value	P-value	χ²	df	P-value
Model A: Maximum weight loss
Intercept	4.30	2.32	1.85	0.08
Genome copies per gram of faeces	− 1.37 × 10^–10	1.12 × 10^–9	− 0.12	0.90	18.18	2	< 0.001***
OPG	− 9.44 × 10^–8	1.34 × 10^–6	− 0.07	0.94	6.66	2	0.036*
Genome copies × OPG	9.24 × 10^–16	6.22 × 10^–16	1.48	0.15	2.54	1	0.11
Model B: Weight loss with time and individual demeaned dataset
Intercept	− 5.27 × 10^–3	0.19	− 0.03	0.98
Genome copies per gram of faeces	7.97 × 10^–10	2.57 ×⁻¹⁰	3.01	< 0.001	15.65	2	< 0.001***
OPG	1.48 × 10^–6	6.93 × 10^–7	2.14	0.03	4.72	2	0.09
Genome copies × OPG	1.52 × 10^–15	1.08 × 10^–15	1.42	0.16	2.03	1	0.15

The parameter estimates are reported with the corresponding standard error, t-statistics and the corresponding P-value, and the χ² test for each explanatory variable with the corresponding P-value
Significant difference at *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001

ISSN: 1756-3305