DISTRIBUTION OF FASCIOLIASIS IN KANSAS, WITH RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTAL SNAIL SUSCEPTIBILITY STUDIES

A total of 278 veterinarians throughout Kansas were sent mail-in surve y forms asking specific questions relating to their experience with fa sciolosis in their practice area. Replies were received from 178 (64%) veterinarians representing six practice types; one-third reported hav ing seen cases of fasciolosis in their practice. The results of our su rvey indicate that the majority of the cattle diagnosed with liver flu ke disease in Kansas are imported from other areas of the USA. However , in both central and southeastern regions of Kansas, some cattle that had never been out of the state were infected with Fasciola hepatica. Thus, these areas of Kansas should be considered endemic for liver fl uke disease. Methods of diagnosis, types of operations, and improvemen ts seen after treatment were also discussed. In order to ascertain the existence of one or more possible snail intermediate hosts within Kan sas, five species of lymnaeid snails were collected from central and s outheastern parts of the state and tested for their susceptibility to infection by Fasciola hepatica. The snails collected included Pseudosu ccinea columella, Fossaria obrussa, Fossaria bulimoides, Fossaria parv a and Fossaria dalli. Of these, Pseudosuccinea columella and Fossaria bulimoides proved susceptible to experimental infection by Fasciola he patica. Metacercariae obtained from experimentally infected snails wer e used to infect both a weanling calf and wild mice, thereby completin g the life cycle of the parasite. This report is the first to identify the existence of suitable snail intermediate hosts for Fasciola hepat ica in Kansas.