Mehran Sayadi - Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mohammad Rezaei - Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mahdi Jahanbakhsh - Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mostafa Gholamrezaei - Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Issa Mohammad-Pourfard - Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mohammad Yahyaei - Department of Life Science Engineering, School of New Sciences and Technologies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Reyhaneh Esmaeili - Department of Microbiology, Saveh Branch, Islamic Azad University, Saveh, Iran

Background and purpose: Fascioliasis is one of the zoonotic diseases in the world that has public health and economic perspectives. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Fascioliasis in slaughtered cattle in the industrial slaughterhouse of Arak, Iran (۲۰۰۷-۲۰۱۰). Materials and Methods: This study sample was consisted of ۶۴۸۹۹۴ head of cattle including ۲۹۲۷۹۷ sheep, ۸۱۰۱۲ cows, and ۲۷۵۱۸۵ goats that were studied using a macroscopic method. Data analysis was performed by chi-square test and SAS software. Results: The prevalence frequency of Fascioliasis in all slaughtered cattle was ۷۶۵۷ head that the most infected of animals was belong to sheep by ۳۲۸۰ head infection, and afterward ۳۰۳۷ and ۱۳۴۰ head of goats and cows were infected, respectively. There is a significant difference between seasons in each year (P < ۰.۰۵). Conclusion: Although the prevalence of Fascioliasis infection is relatively low, but imposing economic losses due to the deleting of infested organs of animals and decrease in livestock products, indicates the existence of conditions for health risks for residents which requires more inclusive and comprehensive sanitary and control measures due to this parasite’s life cycle and transmission.

Arak (Iran), Zoonotic Disease, Fascioliasis, Meat Safety