Evaluation of zoonotic platyhelminthe infections identified in slaughtered livestock in Iran, 2015-2019.

BACKGROUND: Platyhelminth infections of livestock can result in considerable economic losses. This study aims to evaluate the spatial frequency of cystic echinococcosis (CE), dicrocoeliasis, and fascioliasis in livestock slaughtered in Iran during the years 2015-2019 and estimate direct costs associated with organ condemnation due to these parasites. METHODS: Abattoir data from 413 abattoirs representing all 31 Iranian provinces were collected from the Iran Veterinary Organization. Infection prevalence was calculated per year at the province level. The Local Moran's I statistic was performed to evaluate spatial autocorrelation of animals positive at slaughter for the years 2015-2019. Direct costs associated with condemned livers were calculated for each parasitic condition, with costs associated with condemned lungs also included for CE. RESULTS: Overall prevalence values for the study timeframe were as follows: sheep and goat fascioliasis 1.56% (95% CI: 1.56-1.56%), cattle fascioliasis 3.86% (95% CI: 3.85-3.88%), sheep and goat dicrocoeliasis 4.63% (95% CI: 4.62-4.63%), cattle dicrocoeliasis 3.08% (95% CI: 3.07-3.09%), sheep and goat CE 5.32% (95% CI: 5.32-5.33%), and cattle CE 7.26% (95% CI: 7.24-7.28%). Northwest Iran had the highest prevalence of CE and fascioliasis. High infection areas for Dicrocoelium spp. included the provinces of Zanjan, Gilan, Qazvin, and Tehran, which are located in northern Iran. Direct economic losses for sheep and goat fascioliasis, dicrocoeliasis, and CE for the study period were US$13,842,759, US$41,771,377, and US$22,801,054, respectively. Direct economic losses for cattle fascioliasis, dicrocoeliasis, and CE for the study period were US$1,989,200, US$1,668,986, and US$2,656,568, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide valuable data for future monitoring of these important parasitic diseases in Iranian livestock. Disease control strategies are required to reduce the economic and public health impact of these platyhelminths.

Fasciola hepatica infection in cattle and the use of simulation models for endemic areas.

Fasciolosis is a food-borne disease that causes great distress to a range of hosts, including humans. The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate the liver damage and carcass weight of cattle naturally infected with Fasciola hepatica from the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil, and to (2) determine the distribution of adult flukes in 12,236 cattle liver from RS. The data from these experiments were used to calculate the overall economic loss due to F. hepatica infection. Eighteen adult Polled Hereford cows were divided into a triclabendazole (TbG) and a F. hepatica-positive group (FhG). For Experiment 1, a generalized linear mixed model revealed a statistical difference in carcass weight (49.8 kg) between TbG and FhG. The Monte Carlo analysis also revealed that the animals' weight differences were due to the disease. For Experiment 2, the prevalence of infected livers was above 16% (1904/12,236), mostly (20.1%) from the south-west region of RS. The Susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) epidemic model revealed the evolution of the infection using a high infectivity and low recovery rate. Other distinctive scenarios that occur in RS were also established with different rates of infectivity. The economic assessment showed a potential loss of US$45 million to the beef cattle industry of RS, with an overall State cost of US$90.3 million. These novel findings reveal the importance of fasciolosis infection, which can cause a significant health condition and poor animal welfare.

Economic model of bovine fasciolosis in Nigeria: an update.

Bovine fasciolosis is a zoonotic infection transmitted by infected freshwater snail-Lymnaea (Radix) natalensis-in tropical regions. The prevalence of bovine fasciolosis in Nigeria is overwhelming with huge financial cost. In the chronic form of the disease, hyperplastic cholangitis and calcification of bile ducts occur with severe liver damage. The aim of the study was to estimate annual economic losses of bovine fasciolosis in Nigeria. Disease prevalence was estimated at 18.3% (8.5-30.6), average annual disease incidence is maintained at 2.5%, an estimated mortality rate of 1.5%, a total liver condemnation rate of 11.1% were estimated from affected liver due to fasciolosis, annual slaughter rate of 10.5% and a total cattle population of 20 million. A total of 7.3% livestock owners consider fasciolosis as a threat, while only 4.3% have ever used molluscicide. Treatment cost of controlling fasciolosis is estimated at US$375,000, which puts the total annual loss due to fasciolosis at US$26.02 million. Both direct and indirect sources of production losses have an impact on the livestock industry in Nigeria. Bovine fasciolosis threatens food security in Nigeria; therefore, further awareness among livestock owners is needed on control strategies to improve the income base for small-scale livestock farmers.

Initial assessment of the economic burden of major parasitic helminth infections to the ruminant livestock industry in Europe.

We report a European wide assessment of the economic burden of gastrointestinal nematodes, Fasciola hepatica (common liver fluke) and Dictyocaulus viviparus (bovine lungworm) infections to the ruminant livestock industry. The economic impact of these parasitic helminth infections was estimated by a deterministic spreadsheet model as a function of the proportion of the ruminant population exposed to grazing, the infection frequency and intensity, the effect of the infection on animal productivity and mortality and anthelmintic treatment costs. In addition, we estimated the costs of anthelmintic resistant nematode infections and collected information on public research budgets addressing helminth infections in ruminant livestock. The epidemiologic and economic input data were collected from international databases and via expert opinion of the Working Group members of the European Co-operation in Science and Technology (COST) action COMbatting Anthelmintic Resistance in ruminants (COMBAR). In order to reflect the effects of uncertainty in the input data, low and high cost estimates were obtained by varying uncertain input data arbitrarily in both directions by 20 %. The combined annual cost [low estimate-high estimate] of the three helminth infections in 18 participating countries was estimated at € 1.8 billion [€ 1.0-2.7 billion]. Eighty-one percent of this cost was due to lost production and 19 % was attributed to treatment costs. The cost of gastrointestinal nematode infections with resistance against macrocyclic lactones was estimated to be € 38 million [€ 11-87 million] annually. The annual estimated costs of helminth infections per sector were € 941 million [€ 488 - 1442 million] in dairy cattle, € 423 million [€ 205-663 million] in beef cattle, € 151million [€ 90-213 million] in dairy sheep, € 206 million [€ 132-248 million] in meat sheep and € 86 million [€ 67-107 million] in dairy goats. Important data gaps were present in all phases of the calculations which lead to large uncertainties around the estimates. Accessibility of more granular animal population datasets at EU level, deeper knowledge of the effects of infection on production, levels of infection and livestock grazing exposure across Europe would make the largest contribution to improved burden assessments. The known current public investment in research on helminth control was 0.15 % of the estimated annual costs for the considered parasitic diseases. Our data suggest that the costs of enzootic helminth infections which usually occur at high prevalence annually in ruminants, are similar or higher than reported costs of epizootic diseases. Our data can support decision making in research and policy to mitigate the negative impacts of helminth infections and anthelmintic resistance in Europe, and provide a baseline against which to measure future changes.

Economic impact of the liver condemnation of cattle infected with Fasciola hepatica in the Peruvian Andes.

Fasciolosis is a zoonotic food- and waterborne infection related to great economic losses on ruminant production. In order to determine the prevalence of bovine liver condemnations due to fasciolosis in an abattoir at the Central Andes of Peru, we evaluated the records of an authorized slaughterhouse in Huancayo, at 3300 m above sea level, over 16 months. Subsequently, the average weights of condemned viscera and carcasses were also estimated to determine the direct and indirect economic losses. Fasciolosis was the main cause of liver condemnation, with a prevalence of 55.72% (3926/7046; CI 95%: 56.88-54.56%). The livers infected were more than double the amount of livers supplied to markets in this period. Although the average price of liver in the Peruvian Andes is very cheap, approximately 16.45 tons of livers were destroyed, estimating a direct economic loss of US$ 35,080 (CI 95%: US$ 29,178-40,938). The indirect loss due to decreased body weight gain (calculated using 10% of the average weight of a healthy animal carcass) was estimated at US$ 354,570 (CI 95%: US$ 387,908-US$ 321,227). Fasciolosis is an important zoonotic disease that threatens food security in the Andean region, with major repercussions on the income of the livestock industry and the availability of cheap protein sources.

A socio-economic study of Fasciola infections in cattle and sheep at the Etoudi slaughterhouse, Yaoundé, Cameroon.

A cross-sectional socio-economic study of fascioliasis in livestock was carried out at the Livestock Development Cooperation (SODEPA) slaughterhouse in Etoudi, Yaoundé during the periods covering the beginning and late dry season in the northern and eastern regions of Cameroon. A total of 768 cattle and 267 sheep were inspected for the presence of Fasciola species. The overall infection rate in cattle and sheep was 18% (n = 767) and 27% (n = 267), respectively. For the animals that were Fasciola positive, a total of 267.86 kg of liver in cattle was condemned, resulting in a loss of US$1124, while a total of 57 kg of liver was condemned from the sheep population, amounting to a loss of US$114. A total of US$76,097 was determined as losses incurred from condemnation of liver for both cattle and sheep per annum based on the total number slaughtered each year. The findings indicate that fascioliasis is present in cattle and sheep slaughtered in Cameroon and that it causes great economic losses due to condemnation of liver. The local climatic conditions, husbandry systems and the presence of snails (intermediate hosts) are probably the main factors influencing the incidence of the disease and may account for the epidemiological significance found in this study.

High prevalence, potential economic impact, and risk factors of Fasciola hepatica in dairy herds in tropical, dry and temperate climate regions in Mexico.

The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of fasciolosis in cattle herds and its influence on production in order to identify potential risk factors in different climate regions and risk indices in three states of Mexico. The levels of anti-F. hepatica IgG1 antibodies were determined using an indirect ELISA. A total of 837 farm owners or managers answered the questionnaire. The total prevalence of the parasite over the period of January to March 2017 was 63.56%. The highest percentages of positive herds for the categories were found in Hidalgo state (88.33%), the no-risk classification (69.55%) and the temperate climate (76.53%). Overall, the production losses were approximately 0.51 to 1.00 kg of milk per parasitized cow per day. The annual costs of milk production loss per farm were estimated to range from US$2218.39 to US$6424.51, followed by anthelmintic treatment for young stock (US$67.68) and adult cows (US$209.47). Using multivariate logistic regression analysis, six final models were constructed for potential association with the ELISA results and were supported by the climatic, environmental and management factors. The results indicate that different factors were significantly associated with an increased risk of infection for each model.

Prevalence of bovine fascioliasis and economic impact associated with liver condemnation in abattoirs in Mongu district of Zambia.

BACKGROUND: Fascioliasis is a trematode zoonotic snail-borne disease of public health and economic importance. The disease causes liver damage and is hardly recognized by medical personnel hence, is rarely considered as the differential diagnosis. In animals, the disease leads to mortalities, growth retardation, drop in livestock production and condemnation of the infected livers during meat inspection. The cross-sectional study was conducted from 2013 to 2017 in abattoirs in Mongu district, Western province of Zambia. Each selected carcass was examined macroscopically for bovine fascioliasis by dissecting the liver and checking for adult liver flukes. Infested and condemned livers were weighed and incinerated. RESULTS: A total of 69,152 carcasses with their livers was examined at the abattoirs for adult Fasciola worms and 44,511 (64.4%) were positive. According to the intensity of pathological lesions, 55.3% constituted severely affected livers, 30.3% were moderately affected livers and 14.4% were lightly affected livers. Our observation revealed that the most prevalent liver fluke identified was Fasciola gigantica (56.1%) and it mostly affected the poor body conditioned animals (71.4%). The study also indicated that 164,600 kg liver was condemned and destroyed. This reduced the income base for small-scale livestock farmers to about ZMW 7,407,000.00, which was equivalent to 592,560 USD. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, our study suggests that the prevalence of bovine fascioliasis was high resulting in a large amount of liver being condemned and destroyed, leading to economic losses for affected livestock farmers in the area. Consequently, there is a need to take the necessary measures to control the disease and create awareness among medical personnel to consider it as a differential diagnosis in all functional liver deficiencies due to the zoonotic nature of the disease.

Parasitic causes of organ condemnation in cattle slaughtered in Fako abattoirs, South-West region of Cameroon, and estimate of financial losses.

An abattoir study was carried out between May and October 2016 to determine the parasitic causes of organ condemnation during meat inspection and to evaluate the attendant financial losses in Fako abattoirs, in the South-West region of Cameroon. Organs (liver, lungs, heart, tongue, kidney, spleen and intestine) were examined at meat inspection following standard procedures and the financial loss was estimated by considering the total weight of condemned organs and the price per kilogram of marketable organs, obtained from the local market. The organs of 1472 cattle were examined, of which 357 (24.38%) were condemned. The organs condemned because of parasitic infestations were the liver (333) and small intestine (24), and the infections were caused by flukes of Fasciola sp. and proglottids of Moniezia sp., respectively. Hydatid cysts and cysticerci were absent. The prevalence of fasciolosis and monieziosis was 22.62% and 1.63%, respectively. Condemnation deprived the region of 665.457 kg of meat, with an associated financial loss of CFA 1,330,902 (USD 2505), during the study period. Parasitic diseases worsen the food insecurity situation as they result in the withdrawal of a considerable amount of meat from the food chain. Fasciolosis, the leading parasitic cause of meat condemnation in Fako, is also zoonotic. It is therefore important that effective control measures are implemented countrywide against this parasitosis.

Bovine fascioliasis in Brazil: Economic impact and forecasting.

Fasciola hepatica causes liver damage and poor growth in cattle and other animals, including humans. Although the disease occurs throughout the country, it is hyperendemic in cattle in the South of Brazil. This work aimed to determine the economical loss by carcass weight variance using data from all the states where F. hepatica is found, as well as to run a disease forecast analysis for the Rio Grande do Sul State. We found a direct loss of approximately US$ 210 million/year from infected cattle in Brazil and the ARIMA model analysis revealed that an increase of fascioliasis is most probable if no parasite control program is adopted.

Economic assessment of Ostertagia ostertagi and Fasciola hepatica infections in dairy cattle herds in Germany using Paracalc®.

The aim of the current study was to estimate economic costs of Ostertagia ostertagi and Fasciola hepatica infections in dairy cattle herds in Germany using the online calculation programme Paracalc®. Following a questionnaire, survey data were available from 464 farms in 14 federal states. On those farms bulk tank milk (BTM) samples and additionally up to six serum samples collected from first season grazing calves were analysed, using a commercially available ELISA (Boehringer Ingelheim SVANOVA Biotech AB, Uppsala, Sweden), an in-house ELISA (F. hepatica) and an in-house serum pepsinogen test. In total, samples obtained from 344 farms were included in the analysis since those were the only farms with complete questionnaires. Median costs per farm and year were estimated for gastrointestinal (GI) nematode infections (€721.38) and F. hepatica infection (€565.61). Decreases in milk yield in multiparous cows were the major reason for annual production losses due to GI nematodes (€13.33 per cow) and F. hepatica infections (€7.95 per cow), which was followed by annual costs for anthelmintic treatment against GI nematode infections in adult cows (€10.00 per cow) and F. hepatica infection associated annual costs due to repeated artificial insemination (€10.13 per cow) and prolonged calving intervals (€9.40 per cow). The study demonstrated that if all required information is provided, the Paracalc® tool can assist to identify productions losses in dairy cattle herds due to helminth infections and to optimise farm economics in Germany.

A review on epidemiology, global prevalence and economical losses of fasciolosis in ruminants.

Fasciolosis is an important plant borne trematode zoonosis in ruminants caused by the Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigentica, It is classified as a neglected tropical disease and found in more than 50 countries especially where sheep and cattle are reared. Fasciolosis is a serious animal health problems in many rural and urban areas of world, causing significant financial losses due to decrease in production and viscera condemnation in animals. Accurate diagnosis of fasciolosis is always remained a challenging task for the field practitioners. There is no comprehensive summary on the occurrence and distribution of the infection at international level. Therefore, we intended to provide a complete overview on the prevalence and epidemiology of fasciolosis in farm animals from a global prospective. It includes to map the global distribution of fasciolosis in different areas of the world to identify the endemic regions which may be a source of potential disease outbreak. The financial liability related to fasciolosis on the livestock production has also been addressed. For this purpose, the published data during 2000-2015 (15 years) on fasciolosis was reviewed and collected by electronic literature search of four databases including Google, PubMed, Science Direct, and Web of Science. Data presented are contemplated to enhance our current understanding of the parasite's geographical distribution, host range, and economic losses. Information provided would be useful for the application of more effective control strategies against fasciolosis in different geo-economics regions of the world.

Genetic parameters for both a liver damage phenotype caused by and antibody response to phenotype in dairy and beef cattle.

is a helminth parasite of economic importance to the global cattle industry, with documented high international herd prevalence. The objective of the present study was to generate the first published genetic parameter estimates for liver damage caused by as well as antibody response to in cattle. Abattoir data on the presence of live , or -damaged livers, were available between the years 2012 and 2015, inclusive. A second data set was available on cows from 68 selected dairy herds with a blood ELISA test for antibody response to in autumn 2015. Animals were identified as exposed by using herd mate phenotype, and only exposed animals were retained for analysis. The abattoir data set consisted of 20,481 dairy cows and 75,041 young dairy and beef animals, whereas the study herd data set consisted of 6,912 dairy cows. (Co)variance components for phenotypes in both data sets were estimated using animal linear mixed models. Fixed effects included in the model for both data sets were contemporary group, heterosis coefficient, recombination loss coefficient, parity, age relative to parity/age group, and stage of lactation. An additional fixed effect of abattoir by date of slaughter was included in the model for the analysis of the abattoir data. Direct additive genetic effects and a residual effect were included as random effects for all analyses. After data edits, the prevalence of liver damage caused by in cows and young cattle was 47% and 20%, respectively. The prevalence of a positive antibody response to in cows from the study herd data was 36% after data edits. The heritability of as a binary trait for dairy cows in abattoir data and study herd data was 0.03 ± 0.01 and 0.09 ± 0.02, respectively; heritability in young cattle was 0.01 ± 0.005. The additive genetic SD of as a binary trait was 0.069 and 0.050 for cows and young cattle from the abattoir data, respectively, and 0.112 from the study herd cows. The genetic correlation between liver damage caused by in young cattle and cows from the abattoir data was 0.94 ± 0.312 and the genetic correlation between liver damage caused by in cows and positive antibody response to in cows in the study herd data was 0.37 ± 0.283.

Pathological findings of condemned bovine liver specimens and associated economic loss at Nyabugogo abattoir, Kigali, Rwanda.

There are no published abattoir bovine hepatic lesion prevalence studies in cattle in Rwanda. This study estimated that 12.3% of the livers (n=4751) examined at Nyabugogo slaughterhouse in Kigali were condemned. Condemnation prejudiced the nation of 3492.00kg of meat with attendant economic losses of US$8932.40 during the study period. Risk factors for these lesions were also assessed. Male and female animals from 11 districts were used in this study. Hepatic lesions were higher in females (14.6%; n=1494) than in males (11.1%; n=3257). About 78.7% of the condemnations were due to fascioliasis, followed by abscesses (5.7%), hepatitis (5.3%), cirrhosis (4%) and other lesions (6.3%). Female animal livers showed more fascioliasis and abscesses (82.2% and 9.5%) than male animal livers (73.3% and 3.3%). The highest rate of condemnation was observed from Kayonza (40.2%; n=413) and the least was from Gakenke district (0.9%; n=1031). Cattle from the Eastern Province showed significantly (P<0.05) higher prevalence of condemnations (26.8%) than the rest of the provinces. Liver specimens of animals below 3 years and above 6 years of age had a significantly higher (P<0.05) condemnation rate (14.4%) (n=3000 and n=769) than the 3-6year age-group at 4.1% (n=982). We conclude that fascioliasis was responsible for a significant proportion of the liver condemnations at Nyabugogo slaughterhouse. Being a zoonosis, we recommend an epidemio-surveillance, implementation of control measures and anthelmintic resistance investigation for fascioliasis in Rwanda.

Epidemiology and impact of Fasciola hepatica exposure in high-yielding dairy herds.

The liver fluke Fasciola hepatica is a trematode parasite with a worldwide distribution and is the cause of important production losses in the dairy industry. The aim of this observational study was to assess the prevalence of exposure to F. hepatica in a group of high yielding dairy herds, to determine the risk factors and investigate their associations with production and fertility parameters. Bulk milk tank samples from 606 herds that supply a single retailer with liquid milk were tested with an antibody ELISA for F. hepatica. Multivariable linear regression was used to investigate the effect of farm management and environmental risk factors on F. hepatica exposure. Higher rainfall, grazing boggy pasture, presence of beef cattle on farm, access to a stream or pond and smaller herd size were associated with an increased risk of exposure. Univariable regression was used to look for associations between fluke exposure and production-related variables including milk yield, composition, somatic cell count and calving index. Although causation cannot be assumed, a significant (p<0.001) negative association was seen between F. hepatica exposure and estimated milk yield at the herd level, representing a 15% decrease in yield for an increase in F. hepatica exposure from the 25th to the 75th percentile. This remained significant when fertility, farm management and environmental factors were controlled for. No associations were found between F. hepatica exposure and any of the other production, disease or fertility variables.

[Hospital care expenses caused by acute fascioliasis, cystic echinococcosis, and neurocysticercosis in Santiago, Chile]. / Gastos hospitalarios en pacientes con fascioliasis en fase aguda, hidatidosis de tratamiento quirúrgico y neurocisticercosis en un hospital general en Chile.

BACKGROUND: Acute fascioliasis (FA), cystic echinococcosis (CE) and neurocysticercosis (NCC) are three endemic parasitic diseases in Chile for whom there is scarce information about the economic impact they represent during management at the hospital. AIMS: To quantify and compare hospital care expenses caused by these three endemic helminth infections in a Chilean hospital. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of hospital costs at a referral hospital in Santiago between 2006 and 2010. Hospital databases were used to identify patients with the corresponding infections, and those with sufficient data on hospital costs were included. RESULTS: A total of 16 patients representing 21 cases were identified and analyzed: four with AF, eleven with CE, and six with NCC. Median hospital expenses for cases with AF were US$ 1799 and mainly caused by bed-day costs. Median hospital costs for cases of CE were US$ 4707 and the most important costs components were medications, bed-day costs and consumables. NCC patients had median costs of US$ 1293, which were mainly due to bed-day costs. Non-parenchymatous or mixed forms of NCC showed a trend toward higher hospital costs compared with parenchymatous forms. CONCLUSIONS: Although helminth infections in Chile, an upper middle income country, are declining and considered rare in routine clinical practice, hospital care expenses caused by patients with AF, CE, and NCC are high and might still present an important economic burden to the Chilean healthcare system.

Gastos hospitalarios en pacientes con fascioliasis en fase aguda, hidatidosis de tratamiento quirúrgico y neurocisticercosis en un hospital general en Chile / Hospital care expenses caused by acute fascioliasis, cystic echinococcosis, and neurocysticercosis in Santiago, Chile

Background: Acute fascioliasis (FA), cystic echinococcosis (CE) and neurocysticercosis (NCC) are three endemic parasitic diseases in Chile for whom there is scarce information about the economic impact they represent during management at the hospital. Aims: To quantify and compare hospital care expenses caused by these three endemic helminth infections in a Chilean hospital. Methods: Retrospective analysis of hospital costs at a referral hospital in Santiago between 2006 and 2010. Hospital databases were used to identify patients with the corresponding infections, and those with sufficient data on hospital costs were included. Results: A total of 16 patients representing 21 cases were identified and analyzed: four with AF, eleven with CE, and six with NCC. Median hospital expenses for cases with AF were US$ 1799 and mainly caused by bed-day costs. Median hospital costs for cases of CE were US$ 4707 and the most important costs components were medications, bed-day costs and consumables. NCC patients had median costs of US$ 1293, which were mainly due to bed-day costs. Non-parenchymatous or mixed forms of NCC showed a trend toward higher hospital costs compared with parenchymatous forms. Conclusions: Although helminth infections in Chile, an upper middle income country, are declining and considered rare in routine clinical practice, hospital care expenses caused by patients with AF, CE, and NCC are high and might still present an important economic burden to the Chilean healthcare system.

Antecedentes: La fascioliasis aguda (FA), la equinococosis o hidatidosis (H) y la neurocisticercosis (NCC) son tres enfermedades parasitarias endémicas en Chile de las cuales hay escasa información sobre el impacto económico que ellas generan por atención hospitalaria. Objetivos: Cuantificar y comparar los gastos hospitalarios causados por estas tres infecciones por helmintos en un hospital en Chile. Materiales y Métodos: Análisis retrospectivo de gastos hospitalarios en un hospital de referencia en Santiago entre los años 2006 y 2010. Se incluyeron aquellos casos identificados en las bases de datos de hospital y que contaran con datos económicos suficientes. Resultados: Un total de 16 pacientes con 21 ingresos fue identificado y analizado: 4 con FA, 11 con H y 6 con NCC. La mediana de gastos hospitalarios para los ingresos por FA fue de US$ 1.799, originados fundamentalmente por el costo del día cama. La mediana de los gastos en ingresos por H fue de US$ 4.707 y los componentes más importantes en el gasto fueron los medicamentos, estadía hospitalaria e insumos. Los pacientes con NCC tuvieron una mediana de gastos de US$ 1.293 explicado principalmente por la estadía hospitalaria. Los pacientes con formas no parenquimatosas o mixtas tuvieron una tendencia a presentar gastos más altos que aquellos con formas parenquimatosas de NCC. Conclusiones: Aunque las infecciones por helmintos están en declinación en Chile, un país de ingresos medios, y son consideradas raras en la práctica clínica, los gastos hospitalarios generados por la atención de pacientes con FA, H y NCC, son elevados y aún representan una importante carga económica para el sistema de salud chileno.

Estimating the total cost of bovine fasciolosis in Turkey.

The aim of this study was to estimate the total cost of bovine fasciolosis under three different scenarios (expected, optimistic and pessimistic scenarios) in Turkey. The weighted mean prevalence of infection was calculated as 1·9% and the financial losses were estimated in US$ at 2010 current prices. The total costs of bovine fasciolosis per infected beef cattle and dairy cow were estimated as 223·7 US$ (201·3-246·1, under optimistic-pessimistic scenarios) and 430·7 US$ (387·6-473·7), respectively. Total cost of the disease was estimated as 7·4 million US$ (6·1-8·8) for beef cattle and 35·4 million US$ (28·9-42·6) for dairy cows. The nation-wide total cost of the disease in Turkey for 2010 was estimated to be 42·8 million US$ (35·1-51·4). Most of the losses arise from reduced meat yield, fertility and milk yield, and smaller losses are due to condemnation of livers and disease control expenditures. As a result, the quantity of these losses may help the farmers and policy makers to give the better decision for controlling and eradication of the animal diseases in Turkey.

Association between anti-F. hepatica antibody levels in milk and production losses in dairy cows.

This study was conducted to determine: (1) the associations between anti-Fasciola hepatica antibody levels in milk and some productive and reproductive parameters in dairy cattle, and (2) the threshold antibody level associated with loss of productivity, at both herd and individual level. Anti-F. hepatica antibodies were analysed by MM3-SERO ELISA in milk samples from the bulk tanks of 490 dairy farms and from 686 lactating cows. The results of general linear model analysis revealed a significant (P<0.05) negative association between the F. hepatica infection status at herd level, determined by analysis of specific antibodies in bulk tank milk, and the average herd milk production. Highly positive herds (MM3-SERO ELISA result>0.405) produced an average of 1.5 kg milk/cow per day less than the negative herds. At cow-level, the mixed model analysis also revealed a significant (P<0.05) association between anti-F. hepatica antibody levels and milk yield. A significant (P<0.05) average reduction of 2 kg milk/day was observed in cows with highly positive ELISA results (>0.762) in relation to cows with negative results. The results of the study led us to conclude that MM3-SERO ELISA is a powerful tool that can be successfully applied, if appropriate "economic thresholds" are established, to identify herds and cows suffering from milk production losses associated with natural infection by F. hepatica.

Prevalence of liver condemnation due to bovine fasciolosis in Southern Espírito Santo: temporal distribution and economic losses.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the economic losses and temporal distribution of the prevalence of liver condemnation due to bovine fasciolosis. The abattoir in Atílio Vivácqua, in the South of the State of Espírito Santo, which is under state inspection by the veterinary service of the Livestock and Forest Protection Institute of Espírito Santo, was used as the data source. The prevalence of liver condemnation due to fasciolosis over the period 2006-2009 was calculated. The χ(2) test, simple linear regression analysis and χ(2) for trend were used, with a significance level of p ≤ 0.05. Over the period analyzed, 110,956 cattle were slaughtered and the prevalence of liver condemnation due to Fasciola hepatica was 15.24% in 2006, 23.93% in 2007, 28.57% in 2008 and 28.24% in 2009. The historical trend of liver condemnation is an increasing trend, thus indicating that this parasitism has become established in the herd as a problem in this region, with prevalence similar to that of traditionally endemic regions. Condemnations occurred throughout the year, with the highest prevalence in April and May and with significant differences between the dry and wet seasons. The economic losses from liver condemnation can be considered high.