A survey on the bovine amphistomiasis in Mazanderan province, north of Iran

This study was carried out to determine the prevalence and intensity of amphistomiasis in native cattleand mixed breed Holstein from Mazanderan province, in the north of Iran in association with sex, age, breedand season. During the 4 seasons of 2008, at meat inspection the rumen and reticulum of 132 native cattleand 104 mixed breed were examined by naked eye for amphistomiasis. All amphistomes found in each cattle were collected separately and preserved in 70% alcohol containing 5% glycerin for further studies. Ourfindings revealed the overall prevalence rate and Mean ± SE of intensity 33.9% and 864.4 ± 127.2amphistomes per animal, 40.9% and 1012.5 ± 179.4 in native cattle, and 25% and 557.42 ± 99.9 in mixedbreeds, respectively. A few amphistomes were collected from the reticulum of a native cattle. There was nosignificant relation between the intensity of the infection and the breed (P=0.094), whereas the relationbetween breed and the prevalence of infection (P=0.0103), and that of age and the infection (P=0.016) weresignificant. The older group (5≤) harbored more trematodes than ≤2 and 3–4-year-old, and p-values: P=0.026 and P=0.032 were significant, respectively. Difference was observed between the intensity of infection in different age groups. Again a highly significant relation was shown between gender and the prevalence of infection (P