The Prevalence of Fascioliasisin Slaughtered Animals of the Industrial Slaughterhouse of Arak, Iran

Background and purpose: Fascioliasis is one of the zoonotic diseases in the world that has public health and economic perspectives. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Fascioliasis in slaughtered cattle in the industrial slaughterhouse of Arak, Iran (2007-2010). Materials and Methods: This study sample was consisted of 648994 head of cattle including 292797 sheep, 81012 cows, and 275185 goats that were studied using a macroscopic method. Data analysis was performed by chi-square test and SAS software. Results: The prevalence frequency of Fascioliasis in all slaughtered cattle was 7657 head that the most infected of animals was belong to sheep by 3280 head infection, and afterward 3037 and 1340 head of goats and cows were infected, respectively. There is a significant difference between seasons in each year (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Although the prevalence of Fascioliasis infection is relatively low, but imposing economic losses due to the deleting of infested organs of animals and decrease in livestock products, indicates the existence of conditions for health risks for residents which requires more inclusive and comprehensive sanitary and control measures due to this parasite&rsquo;s life cycle and transmission.