Detection of Antibodies In Wild Ruminants To Evaluate Exposure To Liver Trematodes

• Published in: The Journal of parasitology Vol. 98; no. 4; pp. 754 - 759
• Main Authors: Arias, María Sol, Martínez-Carrasco, Carlos, León-Vizcaíno, Luis, Paz-Silva, Adolfo, Díez-Baños, Pablo, Morrondo, Patrocinio, Alonso, Francisco
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lawrence, KS American Society of Parasitologists 01.08.2012; Allen Press Inc
• Subjects: Age Determination by Teeth - veterinary; animal age; Animals; Animals, Wild - parasitology; Antibodies; Antibodies, Helminth - blood; Antigens; Arias; Biological and medical sciences; blood; Capra; Cattle; Cervus dama; Cervus elaphus; confidence interval; Deer; Deer - parasitology; Dicrocoelium - immunology; Dicrocoelium - isolation & purification; Dicrocoelium dendriticum; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - veterinary; Fasciola hepatica; Fasciola hepatica - immunology; Fasciola hepatica - isolation & purification; Female; flukes; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gender; General aspects; General aspects and techniques. Study of several systematic groups. Models; Goats; Horses; immunoglobulin G; IMMUNOLOGY; Infections; Invertebrates; Liver; Liver - parasitology; Liver Diseases, Parasitic - epidemiology; Liver Diseases, Parasitic - immunology; Liver Diseases, Parasitic - veterinary; Male; males; Mouflon; necropsy; Nemathelminthia. Plathelmintha; Parasites; Parasitology; pastures; risk; risk analysis; Ruminants; Ruminants - parasitology; Seroepidemiologic Studies; serological surveys; Serology; Sheep, Domestic; Spain - epidemiology; Trematoda - immunology; Trematode Infections - epidemiology; Trematode Infections - immunology; Trematode Infections - veterinary; Veterinary medicine; Spain; Antibody; Liver; Helmintha; Plathelmintha; Parasite; Invertebrata; Detection; Trematoda
• DOI: 10.1645/GE-2804.1
• ISSN: 0022-3395

Wild ruminants sharing pastures with domestic livestock are at risk of infection by liver trematodes. Detection of antibodies provides a very useful tool to gain more knowledge about the distribution of these parasites. Non-lethal methods are strongly encouraged for the analysis of the risk of infection among wild ruminants. A seroepidemiological survey was conducted to analyze exposure to hepatic trematodes (Fasciola hepatica and Dicrocoelium dendriticum) in wild ruminants from southern Spain. Blood samples were collected from 69 bovids (Mouflon + Spanish ibex) and 143 cervids (red deer + fallow deer) from Sierra de Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas Natural Park. The samples were analyzed using the excretory/secretory antigens of each trematode to determine the IgG response. All the animals were examined at necropsy for the presence of flukes, and the species, age, and gender of the animals were recorded. Fasciola hepatica were only observed in cervids (3%; 95% confidence interval [CI]  =  2–8), while D. dendriticum specimens were recorded in 1% (0–8) of bovids and 4% (CI  =  2–9) of the cervids. The IgG-seroprevalence against F. hepatica was significantly higher in the cervids. Statistical differences according to gender were observed. The bovids exhibited the greatest percentages of positive cases to D. dendriticum antigens, and the DdES-seroprevalence was related to age of the animals. When considering all the factors, the FhES-seroprevalence was initially distributed according to the type of ruminant (cervids), gender (male), and age (>2 yr).