DETECTION OF FASCIOLA HEPATICA USING NESTED-PCR
IN THE SLAUGHTERHOUSES OF ALBORZ, IRAN
A. REZAEE KALVANI1, L. ABDOLMOHAMMADI KHIAV1 & S. R. HOSSEINI2
1Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension
Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran; 2Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary
Medicine Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord Branch, Shahrekord, Iran
Summary
Rezaee Kalvani, A., L. Abdolmohammadi Khiav & S. R. Hosseini, 2023. Detection of Fasciola
hepatica using nested-PCR in the slaughterhouses of Alborz, Iran. Bulg. J. Vet. Med.
(online first).
Fasciola hepatica is a parasitic liver trematode that causes fasciolosis in humans and dairy animals.
Traditional detection of infection is based on a microscopic examination with low sensitivity. Therefore,
this study was carried out to develop an accurate and rapid method to detect F. hepatica in Alborz
province. In this cross-sectional study, 386 samples were collected from livers of cattle and
sheep in three slaughterhouses of Alborz. DNA was extracted, and nested-PCR was carried out based
on the F. hepatica ITS-2 sequence. DNA amplification showed first and second PCR products with
expected size of 336 and 208 bp respectively, as unique for F. hepatica. The results showed no crossreaction
with the negative control. Thirty-five liver samples were positive for this parasitic infection.
Totally, the prevalence of F. hepatica in the slaughterhouses of Alborz, Iran was 9.07%. This is the
first study of the molecular detection of F. hepatica using nested-PCR in Alborz. It is a sensitive and
rapid method that will help evaluate the prevalence rate of F. hepatica infection.
Key words: cattle, detection, epidemiology, Fasciola hepatica, nested-PCR, sheep