Trematodoses, or flatworm diseases, have a great epidemiological significance in farm animals, being detected during veterinary and sanitary examination of slaughter products, as a rule.
Trematodoses, including fasciolosis, dicrocoeliosis, and paramphistomatosis, are currently registered in all regions of Armenia, and their areas expand every year. Besides, ecological situation changed in many regions of the republic due to irrigation and agrotechnological measures, namely reclamation of new lands. On the other hand, global climatic changes promote the spreading of intermediate hosts of the mentioned helminthes, resulting in change of epidemic situation, and in practical necessity of its study.
Cattle flatworm diseases were not registered as independent group of diseases in vet reports and records in Armenia, and thus planned measures for prevention and control of fasciolosis, dicrocoeliosis, and other helminthiases, are not currently conducted.
The goal of the Project is research on fauna of cattle Trematoda in Armenia, and their influence on nutritive value of meat and by-products, as well as design measures for prevention and control of the diseases caused by them.
Tasks of the Project are as follows:
1. Research on prevalence of cattle flatworm diseases in Armenia.
2. Find out man ways of animal infection with flatworms under various keeping conditions.
3. Study nutritive value of meat and by-products from infected animals.
4. Design measures for prevention and control of cattle flatworm diseases in Armenia.
It is proposed within the framework of the Project:
1. Collect and analyze literature data concerned different aspects of flatworm diseases: prevalence, clinical manifestation, transmission ways, influence on nutritive value of food, and prevention in different regions of the world.
2. Study prevalence of cattle flatworm diseases in different regions of Armenia, depending on animal breeding and keeping conditions. Conduct selective examination of animal feces samples for helminthes eggs, slaughter products for helminthes, and detect probable ways of spontaneous infection of animals and humans with the mentioned helminthes. Totalize data obtained from Armenia.
3. Design efficacious rapid test for nutritive value of meat and by-products, as well as schemes for prevention of cattle flatworm diseases.
4. Present the obtained results in scientific conferences and seminars, and publish them in special scientific literature.
Modern informative helminthological, veterinary and sanitary scientific research methods will be used for project realization: fecal consequent washing sedimentation; helminthological examination of liver, gall-bladder, and fore-stomachs; organoleptic examination of meat and by-products, bacterial cultivation using culture media, pH, peroxidase test, formalin test, amines and ammonium nitrogen test. Information databank on flatworm diseases worldwide prevalence problem, and on their influence on nutritive value of food of animal origin, will be made. Results will be processed by means of “Biostatistics” software. Measures for prevention and control of flatworm diseases will be designed. Modern information technologies will be used during the research.
