Experimental and epidemiological studies of Fasciola hepatica

Background

The liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) is a disease-causing parasite that in recent years has become increasingly important in both sheep and cattle in meat production. While the parasite has become increasingly common, there is limited access to modern diagnostic tools and basic knowledge about the freshwater snails that spread the parasite under Swedish conditions.

Although it is reasonable to assume that the amphibious pond snail Galba truncatula is the most important species in this regard, research outside Sweden has shown that there are other closely related species that can spread the parasite and that in some cases they play an equally important role.

Project description

In this project, we are investigating the prevalence of F. hepatica and its larval stages in both ruminants and various freshwater snails collected adjacent to various pastures used by sheep and/or cattle, which have had recurrent problems and morbidity due to liver fluke infection for many years.

We are also experimentally verifying that the snails we find in the fields are susceptible to the parasite when exposed to the parasite under optimal laboratory conditions. At the same time, method development work is being carried out to develop and evaluate new diagnostics based on modern tools (ELISA and PCR), which can be used to detect liver fluke larvae in different intermediate hosts but also in the ruminants that act as the main host of the parasite.