Helminth infections in slaughtered livestock of Qazvin Province, Iran: implications for food safety and public health

Helminthic parasites in livestock represent a significant challenge to both animal productivity and public health, particularly in developing countries. This study investigates the prevalence and diversity of helminth parasites in slaughtered livestock in Qazvin Province, north-western Iran an area with limited parasitological data. A total of 6,885 slaughtered livestock including sheep (1,956), goats (1,322), and cattle (3,607) were examined between January 2024 and May 2025. Post-mortem inspections and coprological analyses were performed on major organs, with identification based on morphological and parasitological methods. Seasonal and species-specific patterns were analysed. The overall prevalence of helminth infections was 47.10%, highest in sheep (75.35%) and goats (65.73%), and lowest in cattle (24.50%). Cystic echinococcosis (CE) was the most common cestode, with a prevalence of 11.32%, while Dicrocoelium dendriticum and Fasciola hepatica were the dominant trematodes. Nematodirus spathiger was the most prevalent nematode. Mixed infections were recorded in 9.59% of animals, particularly in sheep. Spring exhibited the highest seasonal prevalence across all host species. The high burden and seasonal variation of helminth infections, especially zoonotic species like CE and F. hepatica, highlight critical food safety and public health risks. Enhanced meat inspection protocols, public education, and integrated control strategies are essential to reduce transmission and safeguard animal and human health in this region.

• Publication year

  2025

• Venue

  Irish Veterinary Journal

• Publication date

  2025-12-17

• Fields of study

  Agricultural and Food Sciences, Medicine, Environmental Science

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1186/s13620-025-00325-zPMID 41408350PMCID 12837134
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• Helminthic Parasites in Slaughtered Small Ruminants in Qazvin Province, Iran: Implications for One Health and the Food Industry.

  2025influential reference
• Phylogenetic, molecular, and microscopic investigation of Linguatula serrata infection in stray and road-killed dogs in Northwest Iran

  2025cited by this paper
• Integrative taxonomy in helminth analysis: protocols and limitations in the twenty-first century

  2025cited by this paper
• Cysticercus bovis in slaughtered cattle in upper Egypt: implications for food safety

  2025cited by this paper
• Molecular Identification of Cryptic Cysticercosis: Taenia spp. in Wild and Domestic Intermediate Hosts in Kazakhstan

  2025cited by this paper
• First molecular insights into gastrointestinal helminths of domestic birds in the Caspian Sea Littoral of Iran with an emphasis on the One Health concern.

  2024cited by this paper
• The Factors Affected to the Spread Dynamıcs of the Infectıon by Echınococcus Granulosus Hydatıc Cyst in Sheep and Goats

  2024cited by this paper
• Genotyping of Hydatid Cyst Isolated from Human and Domestic Animal in Babylon Province

  2024cited by this paper
• Helminth ecological requirements shape the impact of climate change on the hazard of infection

  2023cited by this paper
• Gastrointestinal Parasites of Domestic Mammalian Hosts in Southeastern Iran

  2023cited by this paper
• Seasonal Prevalence of Helminthic Infections in the Gastrointestinal Tract of Sheep in Mazandaran Province, Northern Iran

  2022influential reference
• Exploiting Comparative Omics to Understand the Pathogenic and Virulence-Associated Protease: Anti-Protease Relationships in the Zoonotic Parasites Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica

  2022cited by this paper
• Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasitic infection in cows and buffaloes in Lower Dir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

  2022influential reference
• Linguatula serrata (Fröhlich, 1789) in Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) from Italy: A Neglected Zoonotic Parasite

  2022cited by this paper
• Trichostrongyloid nematodes in ruminants of northern Iran: prevalence and molecular analysis

  2021cited by this paper
• A 10-Zear Epidemiological Study of Human Cystic Echinococcosis in Qazvin Province, Iran

  2021influential reference
• Seaborn: Statistical Data Visualization

  2021cited by this paper
• Incidence of Gastrointestinal Parasitism in Cattle in Gazipur, Bangladesh

  2021cited by this paper
• Multi-parameter risk mapping of Qazvin aquifer by classic and fuzzy clustering techniques

  2020influential reference
• Living with liver flukes: Does migration matter?

  2020cited by this paper
• Systematic review on gastrointestinal helminths of domestic ruminants in Ethiopia

  2020cited by this paper
• Spread of Cystic Echinococcosis in Pakistan Due to Stray Dogs and Livestock Slaughtering Habits: Research Priorities and Public Health Importance

  2020cited by this paper
• Molecular characterization of Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto isolated from livestock of Qazvin, Iran.

  2020cited by this paper
• Prevalence of hydatid cyst, Fasciola spp. and Dicrocoelium dendriticum in cattle and sheep slaughtered in Sabzevar abattoir, Iran.

  2020cited by this paper
• Use of Veterinary Vaccines for Livestock as a Strategy to Control Foodborne Parasitic Diseases

  2020cited by this paper
• 100 Questions in Livestock Helminthology Research.

  2019cited by this paper
• A serologic study on Toxoplasma gondii infection in slaughtered sheep and goats in Qazvin Province, Iran

  2019cited by this paper
• Retrospective survey of hydatid cyst infection in sheep and cattle based on abattoir data in Al-Najaf province, Iraq

  2019cited by this paper
• A zoonotic parasite, Linguatula serrata, infection in a dog imported from Ethiopia to the United States.

  2019cited by this paper
• Prevalence of Liver Fluke Infections in Slaughtered Animals in Kirkuk Province, Iraq

  2018cited by this paper
• Linguatula serrata, a food-borne zoonotic parasite, in livestock in Bangladesh: Some pathologic and epidemiologic aspects.

  2018cited by this paper
• PREVALENCE OF GASTROINTESTINAL PARASITES IN CATTLE AND BUFFALOES IN THI-QAR PROVINCE, SOUTH OF IRAQ

  2018influential reference
• Molecular taxonomy and subgeneric classification of tapeworms of the genus Moniezia Blanchard, 1891 (Cestoda, Anoplocephalidae) in northern cervids (Alces and Rangifer).

  2018cited by this paper
• Human fascioliasis infection sources, their diversity, incidence factors, analytical methods and prevention measures

  2018cited by this paper
• Using a One Health approach to assess the impact of parasitic disease in livestock: how does it add value?

  2016cited by this paper
• Biology and Diseases of Ruminants (Sheep, Goats, and Cattle)

  2015cited by this paper
• World Health Organization Estimates of the Global and Regional Disease Burden of 11 Foodborne Parasitic Diseases, 2010: A Data Synthesis

  2015influential reference
• [Cystic echinococcosis and cysticerci of Taenia hydatigena in cattle and sheep slaughtered in a Van Local Slaughterhouse].

  2013cited by this paper
• Advances in the diagnosis of key gastrointestinal nematode infections of livestock, with an emphasis on small ruminants

  2013cited by this paper
• Impact of gastrointestinal parasitic nematodes of sheep, and the role of advanced molecular tools for exploring epidemiology and drug resistance - an Australian perspective

  2013cited by this paper
• Human cystic echinococcosis: epidemiologic, zoonotic, clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects.

  2012cited by this paper
• Epidemiology of Fasciola Hepatica in Iran

  2012cited by this paper
• Epidemiological aspects of cystic echinococcosis in slaughtered herbivores in Sari abattoir, North of Iran

  2011cited by this paper
• Integrating molecular and morphological approaches for characterizing parasite cryptic species: implications for parasitology

  2011cited by this paper
• Matplotlib: A 2D Graphics Environment

  2007cited by this paper
• The prevalence, intensity and viability of hydatid cysts in slaughtered animals in the Ardabil province of Northwest Iran

  2007cited by this paper
• Global Socioeconomic Impact of Cystic Echinococcosis

  2006influential reference
• Present situation of cystic echinococcosis in Central Asia.

  2006cited by this paper
• Molecular tools--advances, opportunities and prospects.

  2006influential reference
• Understanding anthelmintic resistance: the need for genomics and genetics.

  2006cited by this paper
• The livestock revolution--a global veterinary mission.

  2004cited by this paper
• Parasite problems in organic livestock and options for control

  2003cited by this paper
• Improving the assessment of the economic impact of parasitic diseases and of their control in production animals.

  1999cited by this paper
• Genetic variants within the genus Echinococcus identified by mitochondrial DNA sequencing.

  1992cited by this paper
• Helminths, arthropods and protozoa of domesticated animals. Seventh edition.

  1982cited by this paper

• No citing papers are available for this paper.