A survey on the bovine amphistomiasis in Mazanderan province, north of Iran

This study was carried out to determine the prevalence and intensity of amphistomiasis in native cattle and mixed breed Holstein from Mazanderan province, in the north of Iran in association with sex, age, breed and season. During the 4 seasons of 2008, at meat inspection the rumen and reticulum of 132 native cattle and 104 mixed breed were examined by naked eye for amphistomiasis. All amphistomes found in each cattle were collected separately and preserved in 70% alcohol containing 5% glycerin for further studies. Our findings revealed the overall prevalence rate and Mean ± SE of intensity 33.9% and 864.4 ± 127.2 amphistomes per animal, 40.9% and 1012.5 ± 179.4 in native cattle, and 25% and 557.42 ± 99.9 in mixed breeds, respectively. A few amphistomes were collected from the reticulum of a native cattle. There was no significant relation between the intensity of the infection and the breed (P=0.094), whereas the relation between breed and the prevalence of infection (P=0.0103), and that of age and the infection (P=0.016) were significant. The older group (5≤) harbored more trematodes than ≤2 and 3–4-year-old, and p-values: P=0.026 and P=0.032 were significant, respectively. Difference was observed between the intensity of infection in different age groups. Again a highly significant relation was shown between gender and the prevalence of infection (P<0.001), but not with the intensity of infection (P=0.206). Despite the difference in the seasonal variations of prevalence (P=0.133), and the relation between the intensity of infection and season (P=0.794), these were not statistically significant. At least 20 amphistomes from each infected cattle were stained using aceto-alum carmine and the identified species were: Calicophoron calicophorn (42.85%), Gastrothylax crumenifer (34.5%), Paramphistomum gotoi (21.8%) and Carmyerius spatiosus (0.75%). Calicophoron calicophorn is a new host and distribution record for studied areas as well as Iran.