Bovine Fascioliasis: Epidemiology, Chemotherapeutic Trials, Effects of Treatment on Productivity, Cost-benefit Analysis

Parasitism is one of the major problems lowering livestock productivity round the globe. They cause retarded growth, lowered productivity and mortality. Among helminth infections, fascioliasis is of paramount importance due to its wider spectrum of definitive hosts viz; livestock, humans and wild animals. Fascioliasis, commonly called as ?liver fluke disease" has a worldwide distribution causing acute and chronic infections to domestic ruminants. Acute fascioliasis can directly or indirectly cause immense losses in terms of anaemia, depressed total proteins specifically hypoalbuminaemia while chronic fascioliasis can reduce growth rate, feed conversion ratio and wool production, resulting in the economic losses to the livestock industry. This book provides new insights into the worldwide occurrence of disease, associated determinants and the effects of treatment on Productivity of bovine population. The present analysis should help farmers community and researchers in designing control strategies against fascioliasis