Dicrocoeliosis in extensive sheep farms: a survey

This study investigated the epidemiological and molecular aspects of dicrocoeliosis in extensive sheep farms. From 2013 to 2014, copromicroscopical analyses in 190 dairy sheep farms and anatomo-pathological inspections in six slaughterhouses were carried in Sardinia, Italy. Rectal faecal samples wer...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Parasites & vectors 2019-07, Vol.12 (1), p.342-342, Article 342
Main Authors: Scala, Antonio, Tamponi, Claudia, Dessì, Giorgia, Sedda, Giampietro, Sanna, Giuliana, Carta, Silvia, Corda, Andrea, Jacquiet, Philippe, Varcasia, Antonio, Ligios, Ciriaco
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abattoirs
Animals
Breeding
Cell proliferation
Dicrocoeliasis - epidemiology
Dicrocoeliasis - veterinary
Dicrocoelium - genetics
Dicrocoelium - isolation & purification
Dicrocoelium dendriticum
DNA
DNA, Helminth - genetics
Epidemiology
Farms - statistics & numerical data
Feces - parasitology
Genetic research
Italy - epidemiology
Lancet fluke
Liver
Livestock farms
Meat industry
Medical research
Sheep
Sheep - parasitology
Sheep Diseases - epidemiology
Sheep Diseases - parasitology
Slaughterhouses
Surveys and Questionnaires
Trematoda
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Summary:This study investigated the epidemiological and molecular aspects of dicrocoeliosis in extensive sheep farms. From 2013 to 2014, copromicroscopical analyses in 190 dairy sheep farms and anatomo-pathological inspections in six slaughterhouses were carried in Sardinia, Italy. Rectal faecal samples were analyzed using the FLOTAC® method, and anatomo-pathological examinations were based on detecting thickened terminal bile ducts (TTBDs). In addition, genetic analyses were conducted on representative DNA samples of adult Dicrocoelium spp. Ninety-seven (51.1%) out of 190 sheep farms were coprologically positive for Dicrocoelium spp. In the liver, on the surface and cut surface, TTBDs were reported in 40.1% (309/770) and 15.3% (118/770) of the animals examined, respectively, with an overall prevalence of 25.5% (196/770). No intraspecific genetic variation was observed among the Dicrocoelium dendriticum isolates. Our survey reveals the widespread presence of D. dendriticum in Sardinia, although seasonal, geographical and climatic conditions might be key factors in modulating the infection prevalence. Examining typical lesions due to D. dendriticum in the liver in abattoirs can be used as a marker for tracking chronic dicrocoeliosis infection.
ISSN:1756-3305
1756-3305
DOI:10.1186/s13071-019-3609-2