Status and prevalence of fasciolosis in cattle and buffaloes in different agro-climatic zones of Uttar Pradesh, India

A coprological survey to assess the incidence of fasciolosis in cattle and buffaloes of comparatively unexplored districts regions viz., Agra, Allahabad, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Lucknow and Varanasi of Uttar Pradesh, India, was carried out. Faecal samples of the animals at the door steps of farmers in different villages of Agra (n=550) and Gorakhpur (n=564) districts while necropsy data (n=285) and faecal samples (n=1409) of buffaloes brought to the slaughterhouses of Allahabad (n=62+63), Bareilly (n=0+1207), Lucknow (n=80+20) and Varanasi (n=143+119) were collected. Faecal samples were examined microscopically and besides Fasciola gigantica eggs, other fluke eggs viz., species of amphistome spp. and schistosomes encountered during the examination were recorded and presented in the paper. In Gorakhpur region, 15.8% of 292 buffaloes and 7.7% of 272 cattle showed F. gigantica infection. Amphistome infection was recorded in 49.3% of buffaloes and 24.6% of cattle. Amongst the infected animals, 10.3% of buffaloes and 4.8% of cattle showed mixed infection. One buffalo and 2 cattle were also infected with Schistosoma spindale. In contrast, in Agra region, F. gigantica eggs were encountered only in 4.6% of 452 buffaloes while eggs of different species of amphistome were detected in 23.2% of buffaloes and 17.3% of 98 cattle faeces with 2.4% buffaloes showing mixed infection. Necropsy examination of buffaloes slaughtered at Varanasi, Allahabad and Lucknow showed fasciolosis in 9.1%, 8.1% and 37.5%, whereas amphistomosis was found in 53.8%, 32.3% and 52.5% of animals, respectively. Coproscopically F. gigantica eggs were detected in 1.7%, 23.8% and 35.0% of buffaloes while amphistome eggs were found in 21.8, 31.7 and 50.0% of buffalo faeces collected from Varanasi, Allahabad and Lucknow, respectively. At Bareilly, of 1207 buffalo faecal samples examined, 32.4%, 85.5% and 1.4% showed eggs of F. gigantica, species of amphistome and schistosome, respectively. Amongst schistosomosis, three species viz., Orientobilharzia duttai, S. spindale and S. indicum eggs were encountered with mixed or solitary infection. One of the animal's faeces showed eggs of all the three schistosome species along with F. gigantica and amphistome eggs. The study indicated a moderate to high prevalence of trematode infection amongst buffaloes and cattle in Uttar Pradesh.