Echinococcus granulosus hydatid cyst location is modified by Fasciola hepatica infection in cattle

Abstract

© 2018 The Author(s). Background: Natural parasite infection occurs in wild and domestics animals with more than one parasite species at the same time, generating an infection called polyparasitism. Cystic echinococcosis reports are usually based only on infection with Echinoccocus granulosus leaving aside other internal parasitoses that could modulate both the immune response and pathogenesis of the natural infection. Fasciola hepatica is another cosmopolitan parasite in ruminants with a similar distribution to E. granulosus in different parts of the world, but no information of the effect of co-infection with E. granulosus has been described. The aims of this report were to establish E. granulosus prevalence and explore the association of F. hepatica co-infection and natural E. granulosus infections in cattle. Results: From 1725 animals, the prevalence of E. granulosus and F. hepatica was 21.16 and 51.3%, respectively. Considering both infections, older cattle (> 4 years) presented h