Detection of Fasciola Hepatica in Lori Sheep Using Polymerase Chain Reaction and Conventional Diagnostic Methods in Western Iran

Fascioliasis is an emerging and important food and water-borne disease in human communities which has become one of the most important health challenges in countries, like Iran. It causes weight loss, a decrease in feed conversion ratio as well as milk and meat production, and also reduces fertility in animals the prevalence of fasciolosis is increasing in some regions of the world due to various factors. Different methods have been used for the detection of Fasciola hepatica in animals. This study is the first to detect F. hepatica in Lori sheep using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and conventional diagnostic methods in Western Iran. During three months, 195 fecal samples were collected from sheep in Lorestan province, Iran, using the stratified random sampling method. The conventional diagnostic methods, including wet mount microscopic examination and concentration assays, as well as the PCR technique targeting the intergenic spacer gene of F. hepatica, were used for the detection of the parasite in sheep. In total, 4 (2.1%) out of 195 examined stool samples were positive for F. hepatica based on the conventional assays. The PCR test was positive for F. hepatica in7 (3.6%) samples of 195 studied specimens. Statistical analyses of the data revealed that there is a significant difference between the results of diagnostic methods for F. hepatica detection (P=0.0421). Finally, the results showed that PCR has more diagnostic sensitivity, compared to conventional diagnostic methods, including the concentration techniques and microscopic examination. Hence, it can be advised to use PCR for the detection of F. hepatica in sheep.