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Objective: Study on the Prevalence and Pathology of Fasciola in
Project: Cross-Sectional study
Animals : Four hundred and studey camels slaughtered at industrial abattoir of Mashhad, north west of Iran.
Procedure: The liver of 490 native camels slaughtered at Mashhad industrial abattoir were examined for Fasciola between April 2000-
2001. Age and sex of animals were recorded. Pieces as big as 5x5 mm were taken from infected livers and fixed in 10% formalin. After processing, sectioning and staining, pathological changes induced by parasite were studied in the section taken. Then the
whole of any infected liver was sliced into 1-3 Cm. The pieces were firmely squized in warm water for removing any parasite
from the bile ducts into water. The Fasciola were collected and fixed in 10% formalin. According to morphological features of stained norms and the dimension of 20 unstained adults Fasciola and 20 eggs the species of trematode was identified as F hepatica.
Stastical analysis: Chi-square test.
Results: Our findings revealed that 5.3% of the examined livers harboured fasciola hepatica. The average number of Fasciola was
10.5 although 75 and 92 Fasciola were collected from two camels. No significant relation was found between age, sex and infection to Fasciola. The main pathological changes induced by liver flukes
were: necrosis, fibrosis, infiltration of inflammatory cells, cholangitis and arteriolosclerosis .
Conclusion: This is the first report on the prevalence and patholgy of Fasciola of camel in Iran. It was concluded that camel as new host for Fasciola can play a role on the dessimination of liver fluke
infection to other herbivoures as well as human beings. Although
the mean number of worms per infected animals was low (10.5)
but considering the pathogen city and the pathology of Fasciola
and low standard nutrition of local camels, even low infection can
be harmfull to the health of animal production. J. Foe. Vet. Med. Univ. 1èhran. 58, 2: 97-100, 2003.