Prevalence of the giant liver fluke (fascioloides magna, bassi, 1875) in red deer (cervus elaphus) in the region of floodplain forests of northern Serbia

Jovan Mirčeta,Branislav Stankov,Miloš Pelić,Biljana Božić,Jelena Petrović,Miroslav Urošević,Dejan Bugarski

doi:10.46784/e-avm.v11i1.13

Abstract

This is the first study offering insights into the prevalence of giant liver fluke in the population of red deer in the territory of Serbia. Giang liver fluke (Fascioloides magna, Bassi, 1875) is the most important liver parasite among wild ruminants in Europe, especially in the region of floodplain forests along the upper watercourse of Danube river. The main objective of this research was establishing the prevalence of giant liver fluke in the region of floodplain forests of northern Serbia. In the observed regions (hunting grounds), the population prevalence rates ranged from 0 to 80% with an average prevalence in positive herds being 70.6%. The total population of red deer, from the observed hunting grounds, exposed to the giant liver fluke includes 47.9% of red deer population in Serbia, which is 0.7% of the total hunting area of Serbia. Giant liver fluke is present in north-western regions of Serbia in a narrow area of floodplain forests along the watercourse of Danube and Sava rivers next to the border with Croatia. The red deers populating the wetland basin of “Gornje Podunavlje” migrate freely through the tri-border area of Hungary, Croatia and Serbia making a consistent epizootical unit. Moreover, the game migrates freely between Croatia and Serbia in the area of Posavina forests along the river Sava. All data obtained in this research are essential for further activities aimed at preventing the spread of this parasite within red deer population and thus decreasing consequent damages and losses.

Highlights

Giant liver fluke (Fascioloides magna, Bassi, 1875) is nowadays considered the most important liver parasite in wild ruminants in Europe, especially in the regions along the watercourse of Danube river (Králová-Hromadová et al, 2016)
Total number of 79 livers from three distinct red deer populations was investigated as following: livers from the hunting grounds in Bačka region, livers from hunting grounds in Srem region and 28 livers from the hunting grounds in the Banat region revealing the overall prevalence of 45.6% (36/79) of positive animals
Among the red deer population on observed hunting grounds in the region of Bačka, the presence of parasite was confirmed in 80% (20/25) animals out of which 35% had 10≥ parasites in the liver, whereas the findings from hunting grounds in the region of Srem revealed parasite pres[22]

Summary

Introduction

Giant liver fluke (Fascioloides magna, Bassi, 1875) is nowadays considered the most important liver parasite in wild ruminants in Europe, especially in the regions along the watercourse of Danube river (Králová-Hromadová et al, 2016). The development and life cycle of giant liver fluke requires an aquatic snail (Lymnaea spp., Radix spp.) as an intermediate host (Erhardová-Kotrlá, 1971; Pybus, 2001). The development in the interemediate host lasts some 2.5 months, while the metacercariae remain infectious for the host during 2 – 2.5 months (Králová-Hromadová et al, 2016; Pybus 2001). In Europe, red deer (Cervus elaphus) and fallow deer (Dama dama) are the most common definitive hosts that facilitate completing of the life cycle of Fascioloides magna in liver pseudocyst and release of eggs via the billiary liver system into the intestines (Králová-Hromadová et al, 2016; Pybus, 2001). Adult flukes can survive in definitive hosts even up to five years (Erhardová-Kotrlá, 1971)

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