Human and animal fascioliasis in Mazandaran province, northern Iran

Abstract

The fascioliasis situation in humans and livestock of Iranian Mazandaran is analysed for the first time. Coprological studies showed 7.3% and 25.4% global prevalences in sheep and cattle, respectively. Studies in slaughterhouses indicate that sheep and cattle may be the main reservoir species, buffaloes may play local roles in the transmission, and goats and horses probably only participate sporadically. Morphometric studies by computer image analysis showed that forms intermediate between Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica appear in addition to both species. A total of 107 infected humans were diagnosed during the 1999-2002 period, which suggests that fascioliasis may be widespread. The absence of differences in human fascioliasis among gender and age groups differs from other human endemic areas. Both human and animal infections show marked differences between western and eastern Mazandaran. Traditions in herbal condiments for human consumption, methods of animal husbandry and annual rainfall may explain the higher prevalences in western Mazandaran.

A retrospective survey of liver flukes in livestock based on abattoir data in Kermanshah, west of Iran

“…The prevalence of liver fluke infections recorded in the present study was generally lower than those reported from other regions of Iran including Guilan (Daryani et al 2006), Mazandaran (Moghaddam et al 2004), Khouzestan (Sahba et al 1972), Lorestan (Ezatpour et al 2014), Ardabil (Saffarbani 1999), Fars (Ansari-Lari and Moazzeni 2006), Shahr-e Kord (Manouchehehri Naini and Bagheri 2000) and Tehran Provinces (Khanjari et al 2012).…”

“…Thus, the two fasciolid species overlap in many African and Asian countries, although in such cases the ecological requirements of the flukes and their snail intermediate host are distinct (Ashrafi et al 2006). The presence of fasciolosis in Iran has long been known and its prevalence and economic significance has been reported by several researchers (Moghaddam et al 2004;Ansari-Lari and Moazzeni 2006;Ashrafi et al 2006;Borji and Parandeh 2010;Ghazani et al 2008;Oryan et al 2011;Khanjari et al 2014). Although a review of available literature strongly suggests that fasciolosis exists in almost all parts of the country, but its prevalence among domestic animals is higher in the southern part of the country, whereas the number of reported human disease cases is significantly higher in the Northern provinces (Khanjari et al 2014).…”

“…Most of the published reports in Iran are from the central, southern and northern parts of the country and there was not any data about Fasciola and Dicrocoelium in the western Iran (Moghaddam et al 2004;Ansari-Lari and Moazzeni 2006;Ashrafi et al 2006;Borji and Parandeh 2010;Ghazani et al 2008;Oryan et al 2011;Khanjari et al 2014). Therefore this survey was designed to estimate the prevalence of liver flukes in abattoir populations of cattle, sheep and goats in the western part of Iran for the period 2008-2013.…”

Epidemiological studies onFasciola hepaticain Gafsa oases (South West of Tunisia)

“…This old disease has a great power of expansion in view of the large colonisation capacities of its fasciolid causal agents as well as the freshwater lymnaeid snail vector species (Mas-Coma et al, 2001). Recent reports indicate that fasciolasis is a reemerging highly pathogenic human infection whose epidemiological picture has changed in recent years (Moghaddam et al, 2004). About 17 million people, most of them are children, are thought to be infected by the liver fluke F. hepatica, including human endemics in Europe, Asia, Africa and America (Hopkins, 1992).…”

Detection of Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica common and uncommon antigens, using rabbit hyper immune serum raised against their excretory–secretory and somatic antigens

“…Fasciola gigantica is present mainly in tropical and F. hepatica in temperate areas, while both species overlapped in subtropical areas including Egypt and Iran (Soliman 2008;Mas-Coma et al 2009;Moghaddam et al 2004;Shafiei et al 2014).…”