Fasciola hepatica infection and association with gastrointestinal parasites in Creole goats, in plateau and Andean regions of western Argentina

CUERVO, PABLO F.; LAURA SIDOTI; FANTOZZI, M. CECILIA; GISELLA NEIRA; LETICIA GERBENO; SOPHIA DI CATALDO; MERA Y SIERRA, ROBERTO

Cluj-Napoca

Congreso; XI European Multicolloquium of Parasitology; 2012

European Federation of Parasitology

Goats, frequently referred to as ?the cow of the poor?, are an example of a sustainable production fully integrated within the local rural development. Being of great importance in small farming systems, is the domestic livestock species with the most significant population growth world-wide in recent years. Frequently disregarded, gastrointestinal parasitism constitutes one of the main constraints to outdoor and extensive breeding in temperate and tropical countries. Despite a Creole goat population of nearly 4 million heads, local reports of parasitological prevalence in the species are scarce, and, while F. hepatica infection is spread all over Argentina, this ruminant species is usually neglected as a reservoir and economic losses are not considered. Fecal samples from 663 Creole goats from plateau and Andean regions from western Argentina were collected and analyzed by means of coproparasitological techniques (Sheater, Formo-ether and Lumbreras). Statistix® 7.0 and SPSS® 17.0 were used for statistical analysis, comparison of categorical variables and chi-square test. Values of p < 0.05 were taken as significant and Odds Ratio (OR) was calculated. Almost 85% of the animals (562/663) sampled were found to harbour one or more parasite species. 217 (32.73%) of the examined animals were positive for F. hepatica, 344 (51.88%) were positive for nematodes, while 422 (64.72%) were positive for Eimeria sp. Considering presence of parasite types, the most common was single presence (38.61%), with Eimeria sp. as the predominant type (21.27%), followed by double presence (31.82%). The most frequent combinations were Eimeria sp. + Nematodirus sp. (15.38%) and Fasciola hepatica + Eimeria sp. (11.01%). F. hepatica mainly occurred as a coinfection with another parasite, while only 22.12% (48) of the cases occurred as monoparasitism. It was most frequently combined with Eimeria sp. (11.01%), followed by the duet F. hepatica + Nematodirus sp. (2.11%), and lastly combined with Strongyle eggs (0.90%). Significant positive associations were detected between F.hepatica and Strongyle eggs (6.11, p= 0.013, OR= 1.96), Eimeria sp. and Nematodirus sp. (7.91, p= 0.005, OR= 1.61), and Nematodirus sp. and T. ovis (9.89, p= 0.002, OR= 6.09). Further studies are required to define whether these associations are causal or not, and their relevance in the epidemiology of the parasites implicated. F. hepatica is rarely considered in the country as a parasite of goats, but a stunning 33% prevalence poses an interrogation about the role of goats on the transmission and dissemination of this zoonotic trematode.