An Insight into Different Strategies for Control and Prophylaxis of Fasciolosis: A Review

Fasciolosis is one of the important diseases of livestock and has zoonotic importance. Fasciolosis can cause huge economic losses due to decrease in milk and meat production, decreased feed conversion ratio, and cost of treatment. Treatment and prophylaxis strategies for Fasciola infection are formed based on epidemiological data. The control of Fasciola infection can be attained by treating the animals with active anthelmintics. The use of different combinations of anthelmintics with a possible rotation is more effective against immature as well as adult flukes. Control of the intermediate host (snail) is vital for the reduction of fasciolosis. Due to the rapid growth of snails, the eradication is quite difficult in waterlogged and marshy areas. The use of different grazing methods and treatment of grazing areas can also help to control fasciolosis. A variety of antigens generated by Fasciola spp. have been shown to protect against liver fluke infection. The crude antigens, excretory/secretory, and refined antigens and their combination can be used as prophylactic treatment for the control of fasciolosis. The use of any of the single or combination of these methods can be very effective for the control of fasciolosis

Screening of Toxoplasmosis in Owned and Stray Dogs of District Faisalabad, Pakistan through Latex Agglutination and Indirect ELISA

Introduction: Toxoplasma gondii (an intracellular protozoan) causes toxoplasmosis in warm-blooded animals, including humans and dogs. The present study was carried out to investigate the seroprevalence of canine toxoplasmosis in the owned and stray populations of dogs in Faisalabad District, Punjab, Pakistan. Materials and Methods: Commercially available Latex Agglutination Test (LAT) kits were used for the screening of samples (139 stray and 150 owned), followed by confirmation through ELISA. For the statistical analyses, chi-square was used to correlate the prevalence of toxoplasmosis with various factors. Results: The overall prevalence of toxoplasmosis, determined by the LAT, was 22.5% and, by ELISA, was 21.8%. A nonsignificant association of toxoplasmosis was determined among owned and stray dogs. Among owned dog breeds, Bulldogs showed 28.30% prevalence, and among stray dogs, the highest prevalence was determined in Bhakarwal dogs (39.29%). Young and female dogs showed a slightly higher prevalence of toxoplasmosis than adults and males, respectively. Conclusions: The present study determined by LAT and ELISA in owned dogs showed the same results, while a little variation was found in the stray dogs. It is concluded that both owned and stray dogs are infected with toxoplasmosis in Faisalabad District, and based on this, it is recommended that province-wide epidemiological studies be carried out to examine the prevalence of Toxoplasma and develop policies in order to control toxoplasmosis