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In this article we will discuss about the infection caused by Fasciola Hepatica and its treatment.
Effect of Parasite on the Hosts:
In general, the disease caused by the infection of Fasciola hepatica is referred to as fascioliasis. However, its infection on the primary host (sheep) is of considerable economic importance. It mainly affects the liver but it also causes hepatitis and inflammation in the bile ducts. Due to this, the bile ducts become thickened which is followed by calcification and finally resulting into the formation of gall stones.
During heavy infection the liver flukes seriously affect the liver of sheep and its functions are upset, the sheep get a disease called “liver rot” due to irritation by means of their cuticular spines, the sheep acquire large quantities of water in the body, muscles become weak and functions of the liver are upset.
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The sheep becomes dull and sluggish which is followed by swelling and pain in abdomen, weight is lost, eye-sockets become pale, liver is greatly enlarged and finally the sheep dies. Thus, the infection of Fasciola causes heavy mortality in sheep population.
On the other hand, its infection to the secondary host (snail) causes complete destruction of the digestive glands or the site of infection, finally causing death of the snail Sometimes infected snail attains gigantic size.
Treatment and Control Measures:
Antihelminthic drugs like hexachloroethane, filicin, carbon tetrachloride, tetrachloroethane and emetine hydrochloride, etc., are effectively used for the treatment of disease caused by the infection of F. hepatica.
The control or preventive measures (prophylaxis) generally include:
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(i) The killing of the secondary host (snail); it can be done by introducing ducks to pastures which will rapidly reduce the snail population, and by draining the pastures because snails cannot survive for long in dry areas,
(ii) Killing of heavily infected sheep,
(iii) Destroying eggs and manure of infected sheep, and
(iv) The spreading of its infection can also be prevented by treating the infected sheep effectively with hexachloroethane which destroys most of the flukes; hexachloroethane administered with bentomite and water at the rate of 10 gms of drug to 50 kg of body weight removes the parasite from the cattle and sheep.
