Farm animals’ fascioliasis in Ezbet El-Bakly (Tamyia Center) Al-Fayoum Governorate.

The research investigates the occurrence of fascioliasis, a parasitic worm infection, in farm animals within Al-Fayoum Governorate, with a specific focus on Ezbet El-Bakly (Tamyia Center). The findings present a distinct prevalence in different animals and identify a potential treatment in the form of Mirazid.

Research Approach

• The research carried out a parasitic investigation in farm animals to continue the study on fascioliasis, which is an infection caused by Fasciola, a genus of parasitic flatworms known as liver flukes.
• The investigation relied on stool examination to identify instances of infection in sheep, buffalos, donkeys, and horses. The method provides accurate estimates of infection.

Findings on Fascioliasis Prevalence

• The results of the stool examinations showed differing infection rates across the different species of farm animals. The sheep demonstrated the highest infection rate at 40%, followed by the buffalos at 20%, whereas donkeys had a 6.7% infection rate. No evidence of infection was observed in horses.
• The overall infection rate across all the examined animals was found to be 25.5%. This computation likely takes into consideration the relative population sizes of the different animal species.

Treatment with Mirazid

• In an attempt to address the identified infections, the study also explored the use of Mirazid as a potential treatment. Mirazid is an oral pharmaceutical drug commonly used in the treatment of schistosomiasis, another type of parasitic infection, but it has also been found to have anti-Fasciola properties.
• The study outlined a differential treatment dosage for the different animals. Sheep were treated with a cumulative dosage of 1800mg of Mirazid, whereas the donkey required a larger dose of 4500mg. One buffalo was treated successfully with 7500mg of Mirazid. However, another buffalo treated with the same dosage was not entirely cured of the infection, but a marked decrease in eggs deposited per gram was reported, signifying a reduction in the infection severity.

Conclusion and Implications

• The findings of this study indicate a worrying prevalence of Fasciola infection among sheep and buffalos within the studied region. Donkeys show a much lower infection rate, while horses appear to be resistant to the parasite under these conditions.
• Furthermore, the research implies that Mirazid could potentially be a successful treatment for Fasciola infections in farm animals, especially sheep and donkeys, although more research would be needed to optimise dosage plans and confirm its effectiveness, particularly in larger animals like buffalos.