Animal Fasciolosis in North of Iran

Background: fasciolosis is a well known parasitic disease of animals with public health importance. in rasht and bandar-anzali, in gilan province, where experienced two large human fasciolosis outbreaks, no update information is available onanimal fasciolosis. paucity of information on animal fasciolosis in these regions and its possible impacts on human fasciolosiscalled us for carrying out this study.methods: during 2005, coprologic surveys using flotation method were applied to fecal samples of 156 stray cattle, 171calves, 178 sheep, 85 buffaloes, 79 horses and 10 samples from 10 different preserved animal manure collections to detectfasciola egg.results: fecal samples of 32 % of sheep, 32.1% of cattle, 0% of calves, 17% of buffaloes, 50% of horses and 100% of animalmanure samples harbored fasciola egg. the mean intensity of fasciola egg per gram of feces (epg) was low (0-13).conclusion: fasciolosis was very prevalent among animals in studied regions. because sheep breeding is not a commonpractice in rasht and bandar -anzali and horse population is low, cattle and to a lesser extent buffalo were the predominantreservoir hosts of infection. regular treatment of all animals with an effective flukicide and sanitation of animal manurethrough its preservation for two month should be applied in order to reduce the level of infection in animals, water, wild andcultivated vegetables and consequently human beings.