Catalina Olano-Ayerbe
University of Texas Medical Branch SOM
Background Cattle are a source of nutrition and income for the inhabitants of Cusco, Peru. Fasciola hepatica infection in livestock decreases production of milk, meat, and wool (1). The highlands of Cusco are hyper-endemic for Fasciola (2). This study aims at determining the prevalence and distribution of fascioliasis in cattle from Anta’s province slaughterhouse. Methods A prospective study was performed in Anta province municipal slaughterhouse during the year 2017. Information on sex, age, breed and location was collected from all slaughtered cattle on 2 days of the week. One 20cc bile sample was collected from the gallbladder of each cattle to find F. hepatica eggs by sedimentation. Prevalence by bile examination was compared to rates of liver condemnation reported to Peruvian authorities during the first months of the study. Distribution of fascioliasis by age, sex, month, breed, and location was analyzed. Results Bile samples were collected from 2,009 cattle. The median age was 3 years (IQR 2-4), 51.9% were male, and most were from Anta province (68.1%), followed by unknown (25.2%). Creole (54.2%), Brown Swiss (29.9%) and Holstein (11.1%) were the most common breeds slaughtered. Prevalence of F. hepatica in bile examination was 62.1%. Prevalence of F. hepatica was significantly higher in cattle from Paruro province than other provinces (85.7% vs. 61.8%, p = 0.02), and from May to September compared to October to April (65.4% vs. 59.2%, p < 0.01). Infected cattle were older than uninfected cattle (Mann Whitney U mean ranks 1037.74 vs. 948.75, p < 0.01). Brown Swiss had a higher prevalence of infection than the other breeds but the p value was not significant. Conclusions There is a high prevalence of F. hepatica infection among cattle in the Anta slaughterhouse. The months following the rainy season had the highest prevalence of infection. Older cattle and cattle from outside Anta appeared to be at high risk of infection. 1.Aquino, Fernanda Martins de, Soares, Vando Edésio, Rossi, Gabriel Augusto Marques, Nicaretta, João Eduardo, Bastos, Thiago de Souza Azeredo, Cruvinel, Leonardo Bueno, Couto, Luiz Fellipe Monteiro, Cavalcante, Alliny Souza de Assis, Felippelli, Gustavo, Cruz, Breno Cayeiro, Maciel, Willian Giquelim, Gomes, Lucas Vinicius Costa, & Lopes, Welber Daniel Zanetti. (2018). Prevalence of bovine fascioliasis, areas at risk and ensuing losses in the state of Goiás, Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária, 27(