Prevalence of Fascioliasis in Ruminants of the World — meta-analysis

Abstract

Among the gastrointestinal parasitoses, fascioliasis is one of the most common diseases in ruminants. Fasciola spp. is recorded on five continents of the globe, in more than 50 countries. The parasitizing trematode causes economic losses associated with a decrease in milk yield, body weight, and culling of affected carcasses and organs. In this study, we aimed to quantify the prevalence of fascioliasis among ruminants (cattle, sheep and goats) of the world in terms of the odds ratio according to the Mantel–Haenszel test (M–H). Online databases in English, Russian and Ukrainian languages were searched for publications from January 2002 to September 2020. This meta-analysis included 42 studies with ruminant hosts. Data on the spread of fascioliasis were collected from different continents of the globe: North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The results of the study found that the overall prevalence of fascioliasis in cattle was 6.41 %, while in small ruminants it was only 2.03 %. The disease in cattle was recorded 1.48 times more often than in sheep and goats. Egger’s regression test revealed no significant publication bias (P = 0.265). The results of the meta-analysis confirm that the causative agent of fascioliasis circulates mainly in the emerging countries. The updated data on fascioliasis will expand the screening strategy to maintain the health of farm ruminants and reduce economic losses.