Response of goats to repeated infections with Fasciola gigantica

One or two mature primary infections with Fasciola gigantica which had been removed by anthelmintic treatment resulted in a significant reduction in the number of flukes recovered from challenge infection as compared with that from controls.

Characteristic lesions of fascioliasis were seen in the livers of the 3 groups, however, goats with two primary abbreviated infections prior to challenge showed more severe lesions than those of animals with one primary abbreviated infection or those of challenge controls. The former group also showed the highest serum glutamate dehydrogenase and sorbitol dehydrogenase peaks following challenge infections and pulmonary fascioliasis was encountered in one of the goats of this group. Haemoglobin concentration and packed-cell volume decreased after infection in the three groups of goats.