The herd-level prevalence of Fasciola hepatica infection in the goat population of Poland

Fasciola hepatica, also known as the common liver fluke, is a globally distributed trematode parasite responsible for high economic losses in ruminants. Infection with F. hepatica occurs in Polish cattle and sheep; however, very little is known about its occurrence in goats. Therefore, a serological and coproscopic survey was carried out in Polish goats to determine the herd-level prevalence of F. hepatica infection in the goat population of Poland.

Material and Methods

Between 2014 and 2022, 33 randomly selected goat herds were serologically screened in the regions of Poland for which risk of F. hepatica infection was estimated as increased based on the spatial distribution model developed within the frame of the GLOWORM project. Virtually all adult goats (>1 year-old) were tested using a commercial MM3-SERO ELISA. Risk factors for seropositive herd status were analysed in contingency tables. Also, faecal samples from 214 goat herds monitored for gastrointestinal nematode infections and anthelmintic resistance were examined using a sedimentation method.

Results

At least one seropositive goat was detected in 11 of 33 herds, indicating herd-level seroprevalence of 33.3% (95% confidence interval (CI 95%): 19.7%–50.4%). At the animal level, only 17 of 1,464 tested goats were seropositive (1.2%, CI 95%: 0.7%–1.9%). The within-herd seroprevalence ranged from 0.8% to 11.1%. The serological status of the herd was not significantly associated with the characteristics of the herd or the extent of contact with sheep. In one herd, located in central Poland, a single positive faecal sample was found indicating a herd-level prevalence of F. hepatica infection of 0.5% (CI 95%: 0.1%–2.6%). The animal’s post-mortem examination revealed liver lesions typical of chronic fasciolosis.

Conclusion

F. hepatica infection occurs sporadically in Polish goat population and its prevalence is much lower than in cattle or sheep. Therefore, treatment or prevention of fasciolosis should only be considered if it has been reliably confirmed by an accurate diagnostic test. This applies also to goats inhabiting geographical areas where F. hepatica infection appears to be widespread in cattle and sheep, very likely due to the fact that goats avoid wet areas.

Langue:: Anglais

Périodicité:: 4 fois par an
Sujets de la revue:: Sciences de la vie, Biologie moléculaire, Microbiologie et virologie, Sciences de la vie, autres, Médecine, Médecine vétérinaire

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The herd-level prevalence of Fasciola hepatica infection in the goat population of Poland

Marcin Mickiewicz

Zofia Nowek

Michał Czopowicz

Agata Moroz-Fik

Kinga Biernacka

Adrian-Valentin Potărniche

Olga Szaluś-Jordanow

Paweł Górski

Tomasz Nalbert

Krzysztof Buczek

Aija Mālniece

Iwona Markowska-Daniel

Jarosław Kaba

Publié en ligne: 08 août 2024

Pages: 373 - 379

Reçu: 27 févr. 2024

Accepté: 31 juil. 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2024-0044

Mots cléscoproscopy, liver fluke, MM3-SERO ELISA, sedimentation, seroprevalence

© 2024 M. Mickiewicz et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Introduction

Material and Methods

Results

Conclusion

Mots clés
coproscopy, liver fluke, MM3-SERO ELISA, sedimentation, seroprevalence