Fasciolosis humana y animal en el Perú: impacto en la economía de las zonas endémicas

Abstract

Fasciola hepatica is the causative agent of fasciolosis in Peru; the disease is an important public health problem by the high prevalence of the human infection affecting mainly children and a major veterinary problem by the high rates of infected livestock. The human disease is endemic in the Sierra and the Coast but sporadic in the Amazonia, and reported in 18 Departments, while the animal infection in 21 of 24 Departments of Peru. Transmission occurs in Andean rural populations engaged in agriculture, but recently an increasing number of people became infected in the cities. The epidemiological situation in Peru includes i) Departments with non-autochtonous cases, where infection occurs by consumption of contaminated vegetables brought from endemic areas or infection is acquired by visit to endemic areas; ii) Departments with hypoendemic and mesoendemic villages, where transmission occurs by ingest of contaminated vegetables and prevalence ≤10%; and iii) Departments with hyper-endemic villages with human prevalence >10 %, with an intense transmission by consumption of contaminated vegetables. The disease affects bovine, sheep, goat, swine, equine, South American camelids, rabbits and guinea pigs. The negative impact of fasciolosis in the livestock economy is not lesser than US$ 50 million per year, estimation based on the prevalence and the number of condemned livers in the abattoirs. It is difficult to estimate the economic impact of this infection in the human health due to its status of neglected disease, but fasciolosis is hyper-endemic in the poorest Andean areas of Peru where the situation has to be recognized as a public health emergency.

Development of Two Antibody Detection Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays for Serodiagnosis of Human Chronic Fascioliasis

“…Since all serum samples were properly preserved at Ϫ70°C from their collection until use, it is possible to speculate that the sensitivities of the two assays were influenced by factors such as the intensity of infection, the persistence of antibodies postinfection, and parasite senescence (21). Northern Peru and Bolivian Altiplano are two regions in which human fascioliasis is highly endemic (3,6,(43)(44)(45)(46). Therefore, it is also possible that the size of the dose of infectious metacercariae could affect the development of a detectable antibody response to a particular antigen (47), as human subjects exposed to F. hepatica infections are likely to ingest low doses of metacercariae over long periods.…”

Fasciola hepatica en bovinos del valle interandino de Aymaraes (Perú): identificación de factores asociados

“…La región Apurímac ocupa el segundo lugar en el contexto nacional por decomiso de hígados a causa de esta parasitosis (11), donde se han registrado prevalencias de 79,5 % en bovinos, con pérdidas económicas que ascienden a 14.369,73 dólares trimestrales (12).…”

Fasciolosis en Vicuñas (Vicugna vicugna) de la Sierra Central del Perú

“…Esto es debido a una baja ganancia de peso, reducida fertilidad y mayor mortalidad y abortos. Asimismo, por el decomiso de vís-ceras infectadas y los costos de tratamiento; además de los problemas de salud pública que ocasiona (Espinoza et al, 2010).…”