Fasciola hepatica infection and association with gastrointestinal parasites in Creole goats from western Argentina Fasciola hepatica infecção e associação com parasitas gastrintestinais em caprinos crioulos do oeste da Argentina

Goats, called &#8220;the cow of the poor&#8221;, are the livestock species with the most significant population growth worldwide in recent years. Gastrointestinal parasitism constitutes one of the main constraints to its outdoor and extensive breeding in temperate and tropical countries. Despite a Creole goat population of nearly 4 million heads, local reports on parasitological prevalence are scarce, and while Fasciola hepatica infection is spread all over Argentina, the goat is usually neglected as a reservoir and economic losses are not considered. To evaluate gastrointestinal parasitism prevalence and associations between parasite genera and species, with emphasis on fascioliasis, Creole goats from the plateau and Andean regions from western Argentina were investigated by coprological techniques, and associations were statistically assessed. Eighty-five percent (85%) of the animals harbored one or more parasite types, while 46% showed mixed infections. Significant positive associations between F. hepatica + Strongyle eggs, Eimeria sp. + Nematodirus sp. and Nematodirus sp. + Trichuris ovis were detected. Further studies are required to define the causality of these associations and their relevance in epidemiology. F. hepatica is rarely considered as goat parasite in the country, but a 33% prevalence poses an interrogation on the role goats play on the transmission and dissemination of this zoonotic trematode.<br>As cabras, nomeadas como &#8220;a vaca dos pobres&#8221;, s&#227;o as esp&#233;cies de gado com o crescimento populacional mais significativo nos &#250;ltimos anos em todo o mundo. O parasitismo gastrintestinal constitui uma das principais limita&#231;&#245;es &#224; sua cria&#231;&#227;o extensiva em clima temperado e tropical. Na Argentina, apesar de uma popula&#231;&#227;o de caprinos crioulos de cerca de quatro milh&#245;es de cabe&#231;as, s&#227;o escassos os relat&#243;rios locais de preval&#234;ncias parasitol&#243;gicas. Embora a infec&#231;&#227;o por Fasciola hepatica esteja espalhada em todo o pa&#237;s, as cabras s&#227;o geralmente negligenciadas como um reservat&#243;rio, e as perdas econ&#244;micas n&#227;o s&#227;o consideradas. Para avaliar a preval&#234;ncia do parasitismo gastrintestinal e associa&#231;&#245;es entre os g&#234;neros e esp&#233;cies de parasitos, com &#234;nfase na fasciolose, caprinos crioulos da regi&#227;o andina e do planalto do oeste de Argentina foram avaliados por meio de t&#233;cnicas coprol&#243;gicas. Oitenta e cinco por cento dos animais hospedaram um ou mais tipos de parasitos, enquanto 46% hospedaram infec&#231;&#245;es mistas. Foram encontradas associa&#231;&#245;es significativas entre F. hepatica + ovos de estrongil&#237;deos, Eimeria sp. + Nematodirus sp. e Nematodirus sp. + Trichuris ovis. Mais estudos s&#227;o necess&#225;rios para definir a causalidade dessas associa&#231;&#245;es e sua relev&#226;ncia na epidemiologia. Raramente F. hepatica &#233; considerada como um parasito de cabra no pa&#237;s, mas uma preval&#234;ncia de 33% suscita uma interroga&#231;&#227;o sobre o papel dos caprinos na transmiss&#227;o e dissemina&#231;&#227;o desse tremat&#243;deo zoon&#243;tico.