Prevalence of Schistosoma japonicum infection in water buffaloes in selected areas in Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro, the Philippines

Research Article

International Journal of One Health, 7(1): 12-18

https://doi.org/10.14202/IJOH.2021.12-18

Rohani C. Navarro¹, Aleyla E. de Cadiz², Jordan M. Fronda³, Lynnell Alexie D. Ong³, and Vicente Y. Belizario Jr.^3,4

1. National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, Philippines.
2. Department of Biological Sciences and Environmental Studies, College of Science and Mathematics, University of the Philippines Mindanao, Davao City, Philippines.
3. Neglected Tropical Diseases Study Group, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, Philippines.
4. Department of Parasitology, College of Public Health, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, Philippines.

Background and Aim: Schistosomiasis (SCH) japonica is a zoonotic disease that can infect several mammalian hosts. Bovines, particularly water buffaloes, are considered the most important reservoir hosts due to the high levels of schistosome eggs, they excrete into the environment. In the Philippines, the previous studies have revealed a high prevalence of SCH in bovines in selected provinces in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. However, there is a lack of studies on SCH in the Davao Region, Mindanao, where the infection remains a public health concern. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of SCH in water buffaloes in four barangays (villages) each in Braulio Dujali, Davao del Norte and Maragusan, Davao de Oro, Southeastern Mindanao, the Philippines.

Materials and Methods: Fecal samples from 91 water buffaloes were collected intrarectally, processed using the formalin-ethyl acetate sedimentation technique, and examined microscopically to determine the prevalence of SCH.

Results: A total of three water buffaloes (8.6%) in Maragusan were determined to be positive for Schistosoma japonicum, while none in Braulio Dujali. The prevalence of other parasites (Fasciola spp. [53.8%], Paramphistome spp. [20.9%], Amphistome spp. [16.5%], Strongyle spp. [11.0%], Balantidium spp. [9.9%], Eurytrema spp. [2.2%], and Gongylonema pulchrum [1.1%]) was also observed.

Conclusion: The results of the study provide baseline data on the presence of S. japonicum in water buffaloes in the Davao Region, Mindanao. Strategies for controlling and eliminating SCH in animal reservoir hosts, especially in water buffaloes, are necessary for the long-term control and elimination of SCH in humans. Keywords: formalin-ethyl acetate sedimentation technique, prevalence, Schistosoma japonicum, schistosomiasis, water buffalo.

Keywords: formalin-ethyl acetate sedimentation technique, prevalence, Schistosoma japonicum, schistosomiasis, water buffalo.

How to cite this article: Navarro RC, de Cadiz AE, Fronda JM, Ong LAD, Belizario Jr VY (2021) Prevalence of Schistosoma japonicum infection in water buffaloes in selected areas in Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro, the Philippines, Int. J. One Health, 7(1): 12-18.

Received: 01-10-2020 Accepted: 15-01-2021 Published online: 16-02-2021

Corresponding author: Rohani C. Navarro E-mail: rbcena@up.edu.ph

DOI: 10.14202/IJOH.2021.12-18

Copyright: Navarro, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.