title: Sheep and Fasciola hepatica in Europe: the GLOWORM experience.
abstract: Fasciola hepatica infection challenges health, welfare and productivity of small ruminants throughout the world. The distribution of F. hepatica in sheep in Europe is usually scattered and studies are generally concerned with a single area making it difficult to compare results from different environments, climates and management regimes. In order to elucidate the current scenario in terms of prevalence and intensity of F. hepatica infection in sheep farms across Europe, a standardized cross-sectional survey was conducted in three pilot areas in Ireland, Switzerland and Italy, all part of the EU funded GLOWORM project. Two consecutive field surveys (in 2012 and 2013) were conducted in the three countries in the same period (August-October) in 361 sheep farms in total. Harmonized procedures (from farm to laboratory) based on pooled samples and the highly sensitive and accurate, diagnostic FLOTAC technique were used. The georeferenced parasitological results were modelled (at the pilot area level) following a Bayesian geostatistical approach with correction for preferential sampling and accounting for climatic and environmental covariates. The observed F. hepatica prevalence rates did not differ between the two study years in any of the three pilot areas, but they did vary between the countries showing high values in Ireland (61.6%) compared to Italy (7.9%) and Switzerland (4.0%). Spatial patterns of F. hepatica distribution were detected by the Bayesian geostatistical approach in Ireland with a high risk of infection in the south-western part of the pilot area there. The latent factor analysis highlighted the importance of year-to-year variation of mean temperature, rainfall and seasonality within a country, while long-term trends of temperature and rainfall dominated between countries with respect to prevalence of infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Naples; CREMOPAR Campania Region, Naples. lrinaldi@unina.it.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rinaldi
authors.forename: Annibale
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Biggeri
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Musella
authors.forename: Theo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: De Waal
authors.forename: Hubertus
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hertzberg
authors.forename: Fabien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mavrot
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Torgerson
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Selemetas
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Coll
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bosco
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grisotto
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cringoli
authors.forename: Dolores
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Catelan
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005211:Fascioliasis / Q000662:veterinary*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D015995:Prevalence; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases; D062206:Spatial Analysis