Journal
TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE
Volume 110, Issue 1, Pages 55-66Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/trv110
Keywords
Biochemical parameters; Disease phases; Fasciola gigantica; Fasciola hepatica; Physiopathogenicity; Sheep
Funding
- Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Madrid, Spain [SAF2006-09278, SAF2010-20805, AGL2011-30563-C03]
- Red de Investigacion de Centros de Enfermedades Tropicales-RICET of the VI PN de I+D+I
- ISCIII-Subdireccion General de Redes y Centros de Investigacion Cooperativa RETICS
- Ministry of Health and Consumption, Madrid
- PROMETEO Program, Generalitat Valenciana, Valencia, Spain [2012/042]
- Erasmus Programme, EC, Brussels
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Background: Fascioliasis is caused by Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica. The latter, always considered secondary in human infection, nowadays appears increasingly involved in Africa and Asia. Unfortunately, little is known about its pathogenicity, mainly due to difficulties in assessing the moment a patient first becomes infected and the differential diagnosis with F. hepatica. Methods: A long-term, 24-week, experimental study comparing F. hepatica and F. giganticawas made for the first time in the same animal model host, Guirra sheep. Serum biochemical parameters of liver damage, serum electrolytes, protein metabolism, plasma proteins, carbohydrate metabolism, hepatic lipid metabolism and inflammation were analysed on a biweekly basis as morbidity indicators. Serum anti-Fasciola IgG, coproantigen and egg shedding were simultaneously followed up. Results: rDNA and mtDNA sequencing and the morphometric study by computer image analysis system (CIAS) showed that fasciolids used fitted standard species characteristics. Results demonstrated that F. gigantica is more pathogenic, given its bigger size and biomass but not due to genetic differences which are few. Fasciola gigantica shows a delayed development of 1-2 weeks regarding both the biliary phase and the beginning of egg shedding, with respective consequences for biochemical modifications in the acute and chronic periods. Conclusions: The higher F. gigantica pathogenicity contrasts with previous studies which only reflected the faster development of F. hepatica observed in short-term experiments.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available