title: Prevalence of liver fluke infections in slaughtered animals in Lorestan, Iran.
abstract: Fasciola spp. and Dicrocoelium dendriticum as liver flukes, contaminate ruminants and other mammalian extensively and cause major diseases of livestock that create considerable economic losses. This retrospective study has been done to evaluate contamination rate of slaughtered animals with fasciolosis and dicrocoeliosis at Lorestan abattoirs. In this survey, prevalence rate of fasciolosis and dicrocoeliosis in slaughtered animals in a 3-year period (2010-2013) has been analyzed. A total of 356,605 livestock including 265,692 sheep and 90,913 goats were slaughtered in the 3-year period and overall 39,613 (11.1 %) livers were condemned. Fascioliasis and dicrocoeliosis were responsible for 6.3 and 4.8 % of total liver condemnations in this period, respectively. Fasciola spp. and D. dendriticum infection in sheep (7.1 and 5.6 %, respectively) were considerably higher than goats (3.9 and 2.6 %, respectively). The annual prevalence rates showed a significant decline in the fasciolosis and dicrocoeliosis infection in goats (p < 0.001). Data showed significant seasonal pattern for distomatosis in sheep and goats (p < 0.001). Liver condemnations due to fasciolosis were prevalent in sheep and goats slaughtered during spring and autumn, respectively, whereas dicrocoeliosis were common in spring season for both sheep and goats. This survey provides baseline data for the future monitoring of these potentially important parasitic infections in the region.
authors.affiliation: Razi Herbal Medicines Research Center, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.
authors.forename: Behrouz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ezatpour
authors.affiliation: Lorestan Veterinary Organization Office, Khorramabad, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hasanvand
authors.affiliation: Skin Disease and Leishmaniasis Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Azami
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, Medical School, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.
authors.forename: Khatereh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Anbari
authors.affiliation: Medical School, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ahmadpour
keywords: Dicrocoeliosis; Fasciolosis; Goats; Lorestan; Prevalence; Sheep