IMMUNOTAXONOMIC STUDIES ON FASCIOLA HEPATICA AND RELATED SPECIES

Abstract

Fascioliasis is a one of the common diseases of ovines and bovines prevalent allover the world. It reduces the vitality of animals causing diarrhea, loss of wool, poor milk yield, retarted growth, emaciation leading to death. Pakistan is an agricultural country where 70% of the population lives in villages and engaged in agricultur~. The villagers keep cows and buffaloes for ploughing and milk yield whereas goats and sheep are reared for their subsistances It is estimated that 50% of the live stock is suffering from fascioliasis (Yousaf et a1. 1970). This high percentage of infection is due to r~vers, canals, dams, pools and other irrigation channels which form excellent ground of the breeding of intermediate hosts of fasciola species. During the last few decades the disease has assumed enzootic form in many areas of the country (kendall, 1954 and Sarwar, 1956). Chaudhry and Khan (1978) recorded 42.8 and 10.3% mortalities in buffaloes and ovines respectively, from fluke infestation which is a great economic loss.