Towards understanding the liver fluke transmission dynamics on farms: Detection of liver fluke transmitting snail and liver fluke-specific environmental DNA in water samples from an irrigated dairy farm in Southeast Australia

Livestock production around the world is impacted by liver fluke (Fasciola spp.) infection resulting in serious economic losses to beef, dairy and sheep industries with significant of about $90 million per annum Australia. Triclabendazole (TCBZ) most effective anthelmintic treatment available control infections; however, widespread emergence TCBZ resistance livestock threatens control. Alternative measures lower exposure would help preserve usefulness current treatments. Environmental DNA (eDNA) based identification intermediate snail host water bodies a robust method assess risk on farms. In this study, we used multiplex quantitative PCR assay samples detect quantify eDNA Fasciola hepatica (F. hepatica) Austropeplea tomentosa (A. tomentosa), crucial for transmission South-east Water were collected from an irrigation channel period 7 months 2016 (February, March, May, September, October, November December) at farm located Maffra, Victoria, Using extraction method, qPCR allows independent but simultaneous detection released life stages snails using specific primers probe targeting ITS-2 region snail, respectively, minimal inhibition contaminants field samples. The sensitivity was observed be 14 fg 50 fg, presence Differential levels time points analysed study. successful provides precedent use as monitoring tool determine prevalence fluke-transmitting regions. Further, has enormous potential allow assessment zones farms inform application strategies.