PREVALENCE OF DICROCOELIOSIS IN SHEEP AND GOATS IN HIMACHAL-PRADESH, INDIA

A survey incorporating field and abattoir studies was carried out on t he prevalence of Dicrocoelium dendriticum in sheep and goats in the Ka ngra valley of Himachal Pradesh (India). Coprological studies on these migratory animals revealed that 8.1% of sheep and 4.1% of goats were positive for dicrocoeliosis, with a mean number of eggs per gram of fa eces (EPG) of 702.1 for sheep and 566.7 for goats. The necropsy liver examination of slaughtered animals revealed that 24.1% of sheep and 12 .3% of goats were infected with D. dendriticum and they had mean fluke burdens of 247.2 (sheep) and 298.1 (goats). No significant difference s in fluke burden, liver lesion score and EPG count were observed betw een sheep and goats. The seasonal distribution of dicrocoeliosis indic ated a higher percentage of infection in autumn and winter as compared with spring and summer. The potential role of migratory sheep and goa ts in the epizootiology of dicrocoeliosis is discussed.