Field Trials to Evaluate Five Fasciolicides against Natural Liver Fluke Infection in Cattle and Sheep in Egypt

Abstract

Fasciola hepatica, a parasitic trematode, affects cattle and many mammals, including humans. The present study was carried out in Assuit governate, Egypt, over one year from 2018 to 2019, to assess the prevalence of fascioliasis in cattle and sheep. We clinically examined 835 animals (303 cattle and 532 sheep) from different private farms. We performed the fecal examination through a direct smear and did a sedimentation technique. The results demonstrated that fascioliasis was present in 20.8% of cattle and 17.1% of sheep, and the overall prevalence was 18.4%. After assessing associated risk factors, there was a significant association only between sex and infection rate (P<0.05). Other assessed risk factors (species, water, and feeding source) did not affect the infection level (P>0.05). By calculating the odds ratio, the sex was considered as a risk factor as odds ratio (OR) =5.879, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.699-9.449. Categorized the animals into six groups. We treated each group with either albendazole, triclabendazole, superzole, clorsulon, or rafoxanide. NC group received no treatment. Animals were subjected to clinical and laboratory examination after the second dose's third and sixth week. The recovery percentage in animals treated with albendazole, triclabendazole, and Superzole was 84%, while 84% and 96% in animals treated with clorsulon and rafoxanide, respectively. All the drugs were effective (P<0.05); nonetheless, rafoxanide demonstrated the best recovery percentage (area under curve =0.605 in cattle and =0.615 in sheep).