Spread and dynamics of Calicophoron daubneyi and Fasciola hepatica in an extensively kept water buffalo herd and suitability of an ELISA for detecting antibodies against F. hepatica.

ABSTRACT: Water buffalo are ideal for grazing in restored wetlands due to their anatomical and behavioural adaptations. Unlike cattle or sheep, the water buffalo thrive in such habitats, feeding on rushes and reeds while helping maintain open landscapes. However, these moist environments also harbor risks, particularly parasitic infections by liver flukes (Fasciola hepatica) and the recently widespread rumen flukes, which require aquatic snails as intermediate hosts. For the present study faecal samples were taken once a year from 2016 to 2024 and monthly in two 12-month periods (2019/20 and 2022/23) from a water buffalo herd established in 2014 on a southern German farm and examined for fluke eggs with a sedimentation technique. In addition, climate data were obtained from a nearby weather station

SUBMITTER: Wenzel C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12868077 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature