Schistosoma japonicum infections in cattle and water buffaloes of farming communities of Koronadal City, Philippines

Abstract

Background and Aim: Schistosomiasis is one of the seven neglected tropical diseases that are of public health concern in the Philippines. The disease is prevalent in few of the barangays (communities) in Koronadal City, Philippines. Status of the Schistosoma japonicum infections in domestic animal reservoir host has yet to be explored in these endemic communities. The study aimed to determine the prevalence and infection intensity of the disease in cattle and water buffaloes of endemic communities of Koronadal City. Materials and Methods: Schistosomiasis was investigated in 70 cattle and 38 water buffaloes from three endemic communities in Koronadal City. The copro-parasitological technique used was the formalin-ethyl acetate sedimentation method. Results: S. japonicum infection was observed in 48.6% of cattle and 60.5% in water buffaloes. The bovine contamination index indicated that all infected animals released 3,505,500 eggs/day. On average, infected cattle released 1,674,500 eggs daily, while infected water buffaloes liberated 1,932,000 eggs in the environment daily. Conclusion: Cattle and water buffaloes in these endemic areas are infected with S. japonicum. These animals release large numbers of eggs in the environment daily; hence, played an important role in disease transmission. Those living and working in endemic areas should be aware of the inherent dangers of the disease.

Prevalence of Schistosoma japonicum infection in water buffaloes in selected areas in Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro, the Philippines

“…This study investigated the presence of S. japonicum in water buffaloes in DDO, Southeastern Mindanao, the Philippines, using the FEA-SD technique. The overall prevalence (3.3%) of S. japonicum observed at the study sites was considerably lower than that in the previous studies, which used the same technique in West Samar (93.2%) [16], North Samar (62.1%) [12], and South Cotabato (60.5%) [13]. This discrepancy may be attributed to the low number of water buffaloes sampled due to the coincidence of stool collection period with the harvesting season in the study area.…”

“…Furthermore, the study provides baseline data on the infection in water buffaloes in Davao Region, Mindanao. Because the previous studies conducted in the country were limited to some areas in Luzon [10], Visayas [11,12,16], and South Cotabato, Mindanao [13].…”

“…Prevalence in bovines in the North Samar Province was also high at 62.09% and 81.07%, as determined using the formalin-ethyl acetate sedimentation (FEA-SD) and qPCR techniques, respectively [12]. A recent study in South Cotabato has shown that 48.6% of cattle and 60.5% of water buffaloes are positive for the infection as determined using the FEA-SD technique [13]. However, there are no studies documenting the presence of SCH in water buffaloes in the Davao Region, Mindanao, where SCH remains a public health concern.…”

Humoral responses to Schistosoma japonicum soluble egg antigens in domestic animals in Lindu Subdistrict, Central Sulawesi Province, Indonesia

“…A recent study reported that cattle and water buffaloes are the source of S. japonicum contamination in farming communities of Koronadal City, the Philippines. These species of animals played an essential role in schistosomiasis transmission [58].…”

The status of schistosomiasis japonica control in the Philippines: The need for an integrated approach to address a multidimensional problem

“…The prevalence of SCH in carabaos using qPCR was 51.5% and 46.0% in the provinces of Leyte [37] and Cagayan [41], respectively. A recent study in South Cotabato showed that 48.6% of cattle and 60.5% of water buffaloes were positive for the infection using FEA-SD technique [42]. Another recent study revealed that 8.6% of sampled water buffaloes in Maragusan, Davao de Oro, were positive for schistosomiasis japonica [43].…”