Seasonal availability of Fasciola hepatica metacercariae in a temperate Mediterranean area (Madrid, Spain)

Wild deer as a source of infection for livestock and humans in the UK

Wild deer can feature in the epidemiology of a wide range of livestock and human diseases in the United Kingdom by representing a source of disease via various transmission routes. This review highlights current and possible future infections of deer in the UK which may have an impact on livestock and/or human health. Increases in deer abundance as well as range expansion are likely to exacerbate the potential for disease persistence due to the formation of multi-species deer assemblages, which may act as disease reservoirs. Climatic changes are likely to have a direct impact on the presence and abundance of various pathogens and their vectors, so that with a warming climate exotic diseases may play a role in future UK livestock and wildlife disease management. This paper highlights the need for a monitoring strategy for wildlife diseases, in particular infections in wild deer, in the UK.

Decrease in human fascioliasis in Gipuzkoa (Spain)

From 1981 to 2000 sixty-one cases of human fascioliasis were detected in the province of Gipuzkoa (Spain), most of them during the period of parenchymal invasion. Four family outbreaks were recorded. Thirty, 15, 13 and three cases were detected during the four consecutive 5-year periods. The decrease in this infection over the years is probably related to the change in eating habits.