Prevalence and associated economic losses of bovine fasciolosis from postmortem inspection in municipal abattoirs in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Fasciolosis is a prevalent disease that significantly affects the health and productivity of cattle and causes significant economic loss. Beyond individually available studies with varying prevalence rates, there are no pooled national prevalence studies on bovine fasciolosis. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to determine the combined magnitude and economic significance of fasciolosis among cattle on postmortem examination. Inverse variance (I2), sensitivity analysis, funnel plots, Begg's test, and Egger's regression test were used to assess heterogeneity and publication bias. A random-effects model was used to calculate the pooled burden of fasciolosis among cattle. The pooled prevalence of fasciolosis among cattle on postmortem examination was 31.77 % (95 % CI=27.82-35.71). Among a total of 14,965 livers of slaughtered cattle examined in municipal abattoirs, Fasciola hepatica (54.4 %) was the predominant fluke identified compared to F. gigantica (24.6 %). Mixed infections of both species and unidentified immature flukes were detected in 12.4 % and 7.6 %, respectively, of affected livers. Regarding the severity of the pathological lesions observed, 30.5 %, 44.3 %, and 25.2 % of the livers were lightly, moderately, and seriously infested, respectively. The pooled annual economic loss attributed to fasciolosis-associated liver condemnation among cattle in 40 reported studies was approximately 40,833,983.15 ETB (6,417, 847.73 USD). Therefore, bovine fasciolosis requires integrated control methods to address its influence on animal health and economic impact.

Evaluation of Fasciola hepatica Infections in Cattle in Northeastern Algeria and the Effects on Both Enzyme and Hepatic Damage, Confirmed by Scanning Electron Microscopy

PURPOSE

The aim of our study is to establish the presence of Fasciola hepatica on farms in northeastern Algeria.

METHODS

143 blood and coprological samples of 15 males and 128 females of different breeds and ages were analysed.

RESULTS

Our study indicates a heterogeneous level of the anti-f2 antibodies to Fasciola hepatica in response to the infection. The overall seroprevalence was about 22.37%, and 9 out of 13 investigated farms were infected, with rates varying from 5.88% to 70%. To explain the intrinsic variability of the infection, we identified age, sex and breed as potential risk factors. Based on this, we collected information about their relevance. There was a significant difference for age (p = 0.018) and coprology (p < 0.0001). Independently, sex and breed had no impact on the infection, although males were more infected (27%) than females (22%). Of the five investigated breeds, Holstein cattle (31.11%) were most affected, followed by Montbeliard (20.27%) and crossed breed (13.64%). Multivariate comparisons showed that the presence of faecal eggs reflects the active infectious status of cattle (p < 0.0001), while age (p = 0.011) and sex (p = 0.040) significantly impact the chance of acquiring the infection. To evaluate liver parenchyma integrity and its functionality, hepatic enzymes were examined and showed relatively low levels of aminotransferases, excluding cytolisis. Although sensitive to distomatosis, γGT and PAL values were inconsistent with the infection rate. The relatively high levels of proteins and albumin eliminate hepatic insufficiency.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest a chronic fasciolosis, confirmed by histology and SEM.