Morphological and Histopathological Examination of Bovine Livers Naturally Infected with Fasciola hepatica

This study was conducted for evaluation of the occurrence of liver damage, based on parasitological and pathological changes, as caused by Fasciola hepatica in cattle. For this aim, a total of 330 cattle slaughtered in a local slaughterhouse in Erzurum province were monitored and their livers were examined morphologically and 70 out of 330 (21.21%) were found to be positive by F. hepatica. In macroscopic examination, the samples of liver infected severely were very hard in consistency and pale in colour while bile ducts were thickened where lots of adult parasites as well as dark brown content were detected. Histopathological examination indicated that there were haemorrhages in the liver parenchyma, cholangiohepatitis, fibrosis, hyperplasia in some bile ducts as surrounded by connective tissue cells, together with immature forms of the parasite in the lumen of certain bile ducts.