Fascioliasis an increasing zoonotic disease in Egypt

ABSTRACT

Fascioliasis is now imposing itself as a zoonotic disease in sheep and cattle raising countries. In Egypt, human fascioliasis is increasing. During the years 1994 to 1997 the overall slaughtered animals in Egyptian abattoirs was 2,003,200 sheep and goats 2,624,239 cattle and 3,536,744 buffalos. The overall rates of fascioliasis were 2.02% for sheep and goats, 3.45% for cattle and 1.58% for buffalos. Macroscopic examination of sheep liver showed up to 100 flukes per liver inside a largely dilated thick walled bile ducts. Cattle liver showed up to 275 flukes per liver inside thickened dilated and calcareous bile ducts with offensive yellowish brown bile. Buffalos liver showed up to 330 flukes per liver. Microscopic examination showed mainly thickened wall, hyperplasia and marked fibrosis. The discussion focused on the zoonotic importance of fascioliasis in Egypt, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. No doubt, adequate control of fascioliasis is more or less a problem, since it requires the control of snail intermediate host[s] and control of infection in all affected animals and man