Parasitic causes of meat and organs in cattle at four slaughterhouses in Sistan-Baluchestan Province, Southeastern Iran between 2008 and 2016

Inflicting Significant Losses in Slaughtered Animals: Exposing the Hidden Effects of Parasitic Infections

We started a campaign in the heart of Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan, to expose the hidden threats of parasitic illnesses in ruminants and the severe financial consequences associated with them. Our in-depth investigations focused on the prevalence, impact, and astounding financial losses brought on by organ contamination in slaughtered animals. Of the 384 slaughtered ruminants examined for gastrointestinal parasites, a prevalence of 44.79% was recorded. It is interesting to note that we found no conclusive association between parasitic infection and the various ruminant species under study (p > 0.05). However, goats (52.0%) had the highest numerical prevalence of parasitic infection, followed by cattle (46.1%), buffalo (46.0%), and sheep (34.7%) in that order. A significant finding (p < 0.05) showed that the majority of animals had light parasitism (46.5%), as opposed to those with moderate (30.2%) or severe loads (23.2%). Our research revealed substantial (p < 0.05) relationships between ruminant age, sex, and parasitic infection prevalence. In comparison to females (56.4%) and adults (48.1%), males (36.1%) and young (36.9%) ruminants showed considerably decreased infection rates (p < 0.05). On the other hand, we discovered a non-significant (p > 0.05) association between the months and the prevalence of parasitic infection. As a result of the condemnation of contaminated organs such as the rumen, lungs, and liver, an estimated financial loss of PKR 133,731,400 (USD = 466,939.2) was incurred. The yearly economic losses caused by liver condemnation were much greater than those caused by rumen and lung condemnation (p < 0.05). Our research not only reported a significantly higher abundance but also economic threats of the parasitic diseases among the slaughtered animals in Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan. Our findings highlighted the critical need for preventive and therapeutic interventions for parasitic infections in animals, in order to mitigate the economic losses through strengthened animal health.

Fascioliasis associated with chronic cholecystitis in a woman from Sistan and Baluchestan province, a non-endemic region in Southeastern Iran

BACKGROUND

Fascioliasis, caused by Fasciola hepatica, is a neglected zoonotic food-borne trematodiasis. The Caspian littoral in northern Iran is endemic for the disease, and human fascioliasis is well-known in that region. In the present study, we report the diagnosis, identification, and clinical management of a human case of fascioliasis associated with common bile duct (CBD) obstruction from a non-endemic remote area in southeastern Iran.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 42-year-old female was admitted to Afzalipour Medical Center hepatobiliary surgery ward in Kerman with abdominal pain for the past three months. Dilated biliary tract and an ill-defined mass in CBD were reported in abdominal ultrasonography and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, respectively. During distal CBD operation, nine leaf-like motile flatworms were isolated. A morphological study confirmed all the isolates as Fasciola, and further molecular investigations, identified the flukes as F. hepatica using both pepck multiplex PCR and cox1 sequencing.

CONCLUSION

Molecular and morphological findings of the study indicated the presence of human fascioliasis in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan in Iran. Fascioliasis is among the etiologies of chronic cholecystitis, and physicians should consider chronic cholecystitis associated with fascioliasis in the differential diagnosis. In the present report, endoscopic ultrasound was usefully applied for the accurate diagnosis of biliary fasciolosis.

A Bibliometric Analysis on Dicrocoelium dendriticum

Background

Dicrocoelium dendriticum, a worldwide zoonotic trematode, is a common parasite of ruminant animals, but humans can be the definitive host by chance. We analyzed the world situation of the parasite from the perspective of the One Health concept by analyzing the research literature published from 1931 to 2022.

Methods

Published documents related to D. dendriticum were searched from the Scopus database. Focusing on a visual analysis of the main research documents on D. dendriticum, Dimensions free web app was used to conduct co-occurrence analysis with keywords, countries, institutions, and authors. Moreover, key clustering research, affiliaitons, journals, countries, and authors were determined.

Results

The Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) was the most publishing affiliation on D. dendriticum with 19 articles. While the Veterinary Parasitology Journal was the mostly publishing journal on D. dendriticum with 38 articles, the most productive country was Iran. The authors Giuseppe Cringoli and Laura Rinaldi from Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy were the mostly publishing authors.

Conclusion

This bibliometric analysis provides an overall description of the current state of D. dendriticum research and the initial exploration of future research directions. Our analysis provides guidance for the development of research on D. dendriticum.

Molecular analysis of internal transcribed spacer 2 of Dicrocoelium dendriticum isolated from cattle, sheep, and goat in Iran

Background

Dicrocoelium dendriticum is a broadly distributed zoonotic helminth, which is mainly reported from domesticated and wild ruminants. There is little data covering the molecular features of this trematode; therefore, current study aimed to molecularly analyze D. dendriticum in livestock.

Methods

Totally, 23 samples of D. dendriticum were collected from cattle, sheep, and goat from Ilam, Lorestan, and Khuzestan, three west and south-west provinces of Iran from February to August 2018. After genomic DNA extraction, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 2 fragment was amplified and sequenced in samples. To investigate genetic variations through the ITS 2 fragment of obtained D. dendriticum, phylogenetic tree and network analysis were employed.

Results

All 23 samples were successfully amplified and sequenced. Phylogenetic tree showed that our samples were clearly grouped in a clade together with reference sequences. There was no grouping based on either geographical regions or hosts. Network analysis confirmed the phylogenetic findings and showed the presence of nine distinct haplotypes, while our samples together most of sequences, which were previously submitted to the GenBank, were grouped in the Hap1.

Conclusions

Our findings indicated that although ITS 2 fragment discriminate D. dendriticum, this fragment is not suitable to study intra-species genetic variations. Therefore, exploring and describing new genetic markers could be more appropriate to provide new data about the genetic distribution of this trematode.

Parasitic causes of meat and organs in cattle at four slaughterhouses in Sistan-Baluchestan Province, Southeastern Iran between 2008 and 2016

This 8‐year (from 2008 to 2016) retrospective study calculated the percentage of carcass and organ (lung and liver) condemnations and estimated the direct financial costs at four slaughterhouses in Sistan‐Baluchestan Province, Southeastern Iran. Each carcass and organ (lung and liver) was thoroughly examined through inspection, palpation and incision following the standard protocol. Identification of the parasites was performed macroscopically. The total direct economic loss due to meat's condemnation was estimated by adding weights of each organ or carcass part and multiplying individual organ totals by their 2016 market unit price. A total of 857,039 cattle were slaughtered during this period, 64,497 livers (7.5%), 31,401 lungs (3.6%) and the carcasses of 1,171 cattle (0.1%) were condemned due to lesions caused by parasites. The main parasitic lesions in the condemned livers were attributed to Echinococcus granulosus (4.2%), Fasciola spp. (3.1%) and Dicrocoelium dendriticum (0.1%). All the condemned lungs were due to E. granulosus (3.6%). Taenia saginata cysticerci were detected in 0.1% of inspected animals. Liver condemnation due to cystic echinococcosis was the highest in fall (4.7%, p < 0.001); while lung condemnation was the highest during spring (3.98%, p < 0.001). Liver condemnation due to Fasciola spp. was the lowest in winter (2.99%, p < 0.001). Carcass condemnation as a result of cysticercosis was the highest in summer (p < 0.001). Considering the 2016 market prices, condemnations due to the studied parasites caused direct costs estimated U.S. $ 3,191,879. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report estimating the monetary losses due to parasitic infections in the slaughterhouses of this province. Due to the high financial impact of the studied parasites, a control programme should be implemented to decrease this impact.