Fasciolosis in Algerian livestock: Epidemiological trends and economic consequences.

The research article is a comprehensive study of the occurrence and economic implications of Fasciolosis, a parasitic disease, in Algerian livestock spanning from 2013 to 2023.

Study Design and Implementation

• The study sought to examine the geographical, temporal, and species-specific trends of Fasciolosis prevalence in different agro-climatic zones in Algeria and calculate corresponding economic losses.
• Eight provinces were included in the survey, and data was accumulated from systematic postmortem inspections of 1,569,392 animals conducted by skilled veterinarians who examined liver and bile-duct for the presence of the Fasciola.
• Data collected regarding region, species, year, and season were processed and analyzed intricate statistical tests and methods in the R 4.4.0 software.
• The researchers calculated economic losses by converting the weight of condemned livers from Blida, Laghouat, and Jijel into USD value.

Key Findings

• Principle Component Analysis (PCA) unveiled three distinct regional prevalence outlines, with PC1 accounting for 77.7% variance and differentiating broad prevalence levels.
• Region I experienced the highest average prevalence rate of 2.47%, with a spike of 3.54% in 2018. This was significantly higher than Region II (1.39%) and Region III (1.96%).
• Cattle exhibited the highest infection rate (average 4.14%), which was remarkably higher compared to sheep (1.32%) and goats (0.25%). Horses and camels were found to be unaffected by the disease.
• A variation in disease prevalence was observed across different seasons with the highest rates found in autumn and winter (approximately 2.1%) compared to spring (around 1.5%).
• The economic impact of Fasciolosis was substantial, with total losses amounting to USD 10.6 million in Blida, USD 1.0 million in Laghouat, and USD 142.2 million in Jijel during the study period.

Implications and Future Research

• The disparities in Fasciolosis prevalence across geographic areas, seasons, and livestock species emphasize the necessity of creating targeted control strategies that cater to these unique risk profiles.
• The researchers suggest future studies should investigate the environmental and management factors that contribute to regional differences. This can help devise cost-effective interventions to decrease the impact of Fasciolosis in Algerian livestock.