Fasciola hepatica (trematoda: fasciolidae), en bovinos ubicados en dos niveles altitudinales del Estado Mérida, Venezuela

In order to detect and assess the percentage and relative risk of Fasciola hepatica infection in bovines at two altitudinal levels in Merida State, Venezuela, a coprological sampling was carried out in 177 bovines, 66 located at 1,000 and 111 at 2,000 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l.), respectively. The animals were divided according to age into three groups: =2, between 3 and 23, and =24 month’s olds, respectively. The faecal samples were taken directly from the rectum with plastic gloves, labeled and refrigerated, until their processing, through of sedimentation technique in the Parasitology laboratory of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the Universidad de los Andes. The percentage of general infection was 33.89%, for the first group 16.66%, the second 5.4% and the third 43.33%. In the altitude of 1,000 m.a.s.l. the percentages were 12.12; 16.66; 7.69 and 12.76%, according to the general and the age groups; and at 2,000 m.a.s.l. 46.84; 0; 16 and 61.17%. The relative risk was 4.04 times more (P=0.05) for the animals located at higher altitude and 8.1 more to adults’ animals. There is a mild infection rate of F. hepatica at 1,000 and high at 2,000 m.a.s.l., and a higher relative risk to present of infection the adults animals localized to higher altitude in Merida State, Venezuela.