Study of Geographical Features of Animal Fasciolosis in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province During 2016-2018 Using Geographic Information System (GIS) Method: A Cross-Sectional Study
M. A. Ghatee[1], M. Hashemi[2], M. Karamian[3]
Received: 19/12/2020 Sent for Revision: 19/01/21 Received Revised Manuscript: 08/02/21 Accepted: 09/02/21
Background and Objectives: Fascioliasis is a common disease of human and animals caused by
Fasciola hepatica and
F. gigantica. The life cycle of these trematodes is influenced by climatic and geographical factors. The aim of this study was to determine the geographical features of animal fascioliasis in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province during 2016-2018 using GIS method.
Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the prevalence of fasciola in slaughtered animals in different cities was extracted from the information of the province's veterinary department. Climatic layers were constructed based on interpolation models. Data on mean annual rainfall, evaporation and humidity, mean annual wind velocity, mean annual temperature, mean annual minimum and maximum temperatures, average height, average slope and area of each vegetation were extracted from the reference ground layers. The relationship between each variable and the prevalence of the disease in the two groups of cities, with high and low prevalence, was evaluated using independent two-sample t-test.
Results: The highest prevalence of fasciolosis in slaughtered animals in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province was 5.3% and belonged to Gachsaran city. There was a direct relationship between the mean annual humidity and the prevalence of fasciolosis (p=0.023). No significant relationship was found between other studied factors and the rate of infection (p>0.05).
Conclusion: It seems that the relationship between humidity and the prevalence of fasciolosis is mainly due to the effect of humidity on the life cycle of snails and the host plants. Using these results, the quality of disease control programs can be improved and significant savings in the costs of animal husbandry and health care can be achieved.
Key words: GIS, Fasciolosis, Prevalence, Climatic factors, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Iran
Funding: This study was funded by Yasuj University of Medical Sciences (Grant No. 990063).
Conflict of interest: None declared.
Ethical approval: The Ethics Committee of Yasuj University of Medical Sciences approved the study (IR.YUMS.REC.1399.102).
How to cite this article: Ghatee M A, Hashemi M, Karamian M. Study of Geographical Features of Animal Fasciolosis in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province During 2016-2018 Using Geographic Information System (GIS) Method: A Cross-Sectional Study.
J Rafsanjan Univ Med Sci 2021; 19 (11): 1135-48. [Farsi]
[1]- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Yasouj University of Medical Sciences, Yasouj, Iran
Associate Prof., Dept. of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Yasouj University of Medical Sciences, Yasouj, Iran, ORCID: 0000-0001-6325-038X
[2]- MD Student., Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Yasouj University of Medical Sciences,
Yasouj, Iran, ORCID: 0000-0003-1205-6987
[3]- Associate Prof., Dept. of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran, ORCID: 0000-0002-4516-0724
(Corresponding Author) Tel: (024) 33140251, Fax: (024) 33140251, E-mail: karamianm@zums.ac.ir