Options for the control of liver fluke

[Extract] Much of the literature on the control of Fasciola gigantica is based on successes and failures of methods used in temperate countries to control Fasciola hepatica. These include strategic anthelmintic treatment, grazing management, application of molluscicides, and fencing off or draining swampy areas. The relevance of these approaches to control of F. gigantica in the tropics must be questioned and control options developed on the basis of a sound understanding of the transmission of F. gigantica in tropical production systems. Relatively little is known about the epidemiology of F. gigantica and this hampers the development of control strategies for tropical production systems in areas where infection with F. gigantica is endemic. These are often areas where irrigated rice is cultivated intensively. Although regional recommendations have been made for some developing countries (FAO 1994), in most areas of tropical Asia there are no routinely used control programs for fasciolosis (Spithill et al. 1999)