Control of Fasciola gigantica with triclabendazole in Indonesian cattle

The efficacy of triclabendazole (TCBZ) against natural infections with Fasciola gigantica was evaluated in a field study using 102 Indonesian cattle. The animals were divided into two groups; one received TCBZ at 12 mg/kg orally every eight weeks for one year while the other remained untreated. Relative to controls the Fasciola faecal egg count in treated animals was significantly reduced (P less than 0.01) to almost zero at all observations. There were no differences between the groups in blood values and body mass gain. Plasma glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) levels in treated animals were reduced to within normal values, whereas those in controls remained above normal throughout. Although plasma gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels remained within the normal range in both groups they were consistently higher in control than in treated animals. However, both GLDH and GGT levels in control animals were considerably lower than those reported by others in experimental low-level chronic fasciolosis, which suggests that only mild liver damage was caused by small numbers of F. gigantica in these animals. In addition to considerations of disease prevalence and economic data from abattoirs, control strategies for fasciolosis in Indonesian cattle require an evaluation of losses due to subclinical disease.