Liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) is endemic in certain areas of New Zealand, affecting all grazing ruminants. However, despite its prevalence, diagnosing liver fluke infection in farmed livestock before death remains challenging.
Liver fluke establish in the bile ducts of ruminants and interfere with liver function. Sheep do not establish immunity and infection can build up over several seasons. Weight loss, anaemia and ewe deaths can occur. For cattle, in high challenge areas, milk production and liveweight gain can show a response after treatment.
We currently provide various tests for liver fluke, including conventional faecal microscopy, serum and milk antibody testing, and gross pathology/liver dissection. All of these tests have their limitations – conventional microscopy has a relatively low sensitivity; antibody testing will continue to test positive even after anthelmintic treatment; and gross pathology requires the animal to be dead and is complicated by other conditions that also produce pathological changes to the liver, e.g. facial eczema.
We are very excited to now offer a liver fluke-specific test that detects infection through an ELISA on faecal samples. This test can yield a positive result even outside the fluke’s egg-laying period, and unlike the serum antibody ELISA test, this faecal antigen ELISA will only test positive if flukes are present in the bile duct.
Sample type: Faeces
Species: Cattle, sheep
Turn around time: 2-3 days
Note: Testing can be carried out on individual samples only, and cannot be done on pooled/composite samples.
(References: Beef + Lamb NZ, BioX Diagnostics kit insert)