Seasonal differences in the incidence of infection with Fasciola gigantica in cambodian cattle |
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Authors: | S Suon D Hol S Siek M McLean B Copeman |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Animal Health and Production, Phnom Penh, Cambodia;(2) Australian Institute of Tropical Veterinary and Animal Science, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia |
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Abstract: | Farmer's cattle were treated with triclabendazole and used as tracer animals to detect new infections with Fasciola gigantica in three villages located on the bank of the Bassac River (a major tributary of the Mekong River) and in a fourth village
located on farmland away from the river, from April 1999 until January 2001. The month of infection was estimated by subtracting
4 months from the date when eggs of F. gigantica were detected in faeces. Farmers were interviewed each month to record the nature of the agricultural and animal husbandry
activities that occurred during the previous month, especially events that might have exposed cattle to infection with F. gigantica. Results support the conclusions that infection of cattle in riverbank villages acquired from about August or September until
November originated from herbage and water in irrigation canals and dams on the riverbank, and that the progressively increasing
monthly incidence from December until April (up to 87% per month in April 2000) was derived from herbage and water in recently
harvested rice fields and lakes adjacent to the riverbank. The abrupt cessation of new infection in riverbank villages in
May coincided with flooding of low-lying land, the movement of cattle to land above flood height on the riverbank, and a change
of diet to dry-land crop residues, stored dry rice stalks, and herbage and water that were unlikely to contain metacercariae.
It was concluded that snails in dams and canals on the riverbank became infected with F. gigantica after cattle were moved to the riverbank in May, and cercariae shed from these snails provided the new infections that occurred
in cattle in August and September. In the village located away from the river, infection of cattle between September and March
coincided with the rice harvest, supporting the conclusion that feeding of fresh rice stalks and stubble after the rice was
harvested was the main source of infection. The low monthly incidence observed (up to 6.4% per month) was consistent with
the hypothesis that snails did not survive in the dry rice fields between crops and that few snails would have been available
from the small number of aquatic refuges that persisted through the dry season to recolonize rice fields during the wet season.
Between April and August there was no opportunity for new infection because cattle were fed forage from around houses and
headlands, and on dry-land crop residues and stored dry rice stalks. Control of fasciolosis was proposed using a single treatment
of cattle with triclabendazole in riverbank villages in May when cattle were moved to the riverbank, and after harvest of
the last rice field in villages located away from the river. |
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Keywords: | Fasciola gigantica Incidence Tracer study Cattle Cambodia |
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