Clinicopathological studies on the subclinical fascioliasis in the Korean native cows in Chonnam area

순수번식단지(純粹繁殖團地) 한우(韓牛)의 간질증(肝蛭症)에 관한 임상적(臨床的) 연구(硏究)

Fecal samples were taken from 402 cows in Posung, Chonnam where was designated as a place for Korean native cattle breeding. Prevalence of internal parasitisms were determined by the fecal examinations using the floatation and sedimentation procedures. 62.9% of the cows were found as positive cases with excretion of the eggs of Fasciola hepatica in the fecal specimens. Of those infected with F hepatica 97 cows free of other pathogenic intestinal parasites were chosen for albendazole treatment. Albendazole tablets(10mg/kg) were administered to the cows twice at the interval of 4 weeks. Blood samples were collected via jugular vein prior to the first treatment, four weeks after the first treatment and four weeks after the second treatment, respectively. At the same time fecal samples were collected for parasitological examinations by sedimentation methods. The mean pretreatment count was 44 fluke eggs per gram of feces, which compared with 27 epg and 17 epg four weeks after the first and second treatment, respectively. Most of the hematological and biochemical values fluctuated within the normal ranges during the experiment. Eosinophil counts were high initially, decreased after the first treatment and thereafter remained steady. The opposite was the case with aspartate and alanine aminotransferases.