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Dicrocoeliosis in sheep in England and Wales: under diagnosed and misdiagnosed?
Author(s) -
PapoulaPereira Rita,
Hancock Bob,
Mitchell Sian,
Semple Harriet,
McGarry J W
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
veterinary record case reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.165
H-Index - 4
ISSN - 2052-6121
DOI - 10.1136/vetreccr-2016-000386
Subject(s) - medicine , gall , fasciola hepatica , parasite hosting , veterinary medicine , bile duct , pathology , helminths , surgery , biology , immunology , ecology , world wide web , computer science
We report four cases of dicrocoeliosis in sheep of untraced origin at an abattoir in Wales in 2015. Liver presentation ranged from severe, with extensive disseminated fibrosis and small bile duct hyperplasia and ectasia, to mild, characterised by occasional small white lesions on the subcapsular surface. Incising the liver revealed black fluid containing Dicrocoelium dendriticum . In another case, from North West England, adult parasites were found in the gall bladder—there were no liver lesions—and eggs were present in faeces. The cases demonstrate that this condition may appear in sheep in UK outside the known endemic areas of western Scotland. Surveillance is therefore necessary but only achievable through accurate diagnosis. Investigators must be aware that lesions can appear similar in some cases to those caused by other parasites, especially Fasciola hepatica and Cysticercus tenuicollis , and that coprological methods to detect sheep nematode eggs are insensitive for this parasite.