Abstract
Background: Fasciolosis is a major trematode infection that is zoonotic, but its prevalence is underreported in the Philippines. In Isabela province, Fasciola spp. is a constant finding in slaughtered bovines. Methods: The infection rate of Fasciola spp. in 206 cattle and carabaos in Jones and San Agustin, Isabela, Philippines was investigated through fecalysis using the Formalin Ethyl Acetate Sedimentation (FEA- Sd) technique. Parallel blood samples were collected from a subgroup of 50 animals for the detection of the cathepsin L gene using Reverse- Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). Association between infection with Fasciola spp. and bovine species, sex, age, and place of origin was tested using the Chi- Square Test. Results: Sixty–eight (33.0%) of the bovines examined revealed Fasciola gigantica eggs in their feces. No statistically significant associations were recorded between F. gigantica infection with sex, age, and origin of the bovines. RT-PCR showed a higher detection rate of infection (100.0%) than FEA-Sd (54.0%) where a 250-bp cDNA probe was generated which amplified the DNA encoding for the cathepsin L protein in plasma. Conclusions: Our data confirm the
presence of F. gigantica in these municipalities. Results suggest that the cathepsin L gene is a promising target in the diagnosis of chronic and pre-patent infections of
F. gigantica.
Keywords: Fasciolosis, FEA-Sd, Cathepsin L, RT-PCR