Fasciola hepatica infections in cattle in the Central Highlands of Peru and their zoonotic implications

Korte beschrijving

Fascioliasis caused by Fasciola hepatica constitutes a major health problem in livestock worldwide due to its significant negative productive impact. Ever increasing rates of infection, new patterns of distribution induced by climate change, and the growing threat of the development of anthelmintic resistance against triclabendazole, constitute critical challenges for the control of this parasite in endemic areas, such as the Andean Region. Regarding human fascioliasis, Peru is one of the countries with the widest regional distribution of human fascioliasis, and The Mantaro Valley is an acknowledged endemic region for this parasitosis, affecting mainly school aged children and inducing stunting and anemia. Although serological tests are mostly used for detection of human fascioliasis in research studies due to their high sensitivity, coprological methods still constitute the most important routine diagnostic tests in rural areas. Consequently, the validation of novel tests with higher sensitivity would improve the detection of infected SAC children, contributing to optimal control programs. Finally, the role of livestock as an animal reservoir for human infection, especially in endemic areas, has been reported. However, no previous study provided scientific evidence to prove the importance of livestock as a potential source for human infection in Peruvian endemic areas, such as The Mantaro Valley. Therefore, the general objectives of this thesis were: