Fascioliasis is a zoonotic disease caused by liver flukes transmitted by freshwater lymnaeid snails. Donkey and horse reservoir roles have been highlighted in human endemic areas. Liver fluke infection in mules has received very limited research. Their role in disease transmission, epidemiological importance andFasciola hepaticapathogenicity are studied for the first time. Prevalence was 39.5% in 81 mules from Aconcagua, and 24.4% in 127 from Uspallata, in high-altitude areas of Mendoza province, Argentina. A mean amount of 101,242 eggs/mule/day is estimated. Lymnaeids from Uspallata proved to belong to ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) markers ITS-1 and ITS-2 combined haplotype 3C ofGalba truncatula. These lymnaeids were experimentally susceptible to infection by egg miracidia from mules. Infectivity, number of cercariae/snail and shedding period fit the enhancedF. hepatica/G. truncatulatransmission pattern at very high altitude. This indicates that the mule is able to maintain theF. hepaticacycle independently. Individual burdens of 20 and 97 flukes were found. Mule infection susceptibility is intermediate between donkey and horse, although closer to the latter. Anatomo-pathology and histopathology indicate that massive infection may cause mule death. Haematological value decreases of red blood cells, haemoglobin, leucocytes and lymphocytes indicate anaemia and strong immunosuppression. Strongly increased biochemical marker values indicate liver function alterations. The mule probably played a role in the past exchanges with Chile and Bolivia through Mendoza province. Evidence suggests that mules could contribute to the spread of bothF. hepaticaandG. truncatulato human fascioliasis-endemic areas in these countries.

中文翻译：

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马作为人类片形吸虫病的宿主：感染肝片形吸虫的骡子的传播能力、流行病学和致病性

片形吸虫病是一种由淡水线虫传播的肝吸虫引起的人畜共患疾病。在人类流行地区，驴和马的蓄水池作用已得到强调。骡肝吸虫感染的研究非常有限。它们在疾病传播、流行病学重要性和肝片状吸虫首次对致病性进行了研究。在阿根廷门多萨省的高海拔地区，阿空加瓜的 81 头骡子的流行率为 39.5%，乌斯帕拉塔的 127 头骡子的流行率为 24.4%。估计平均每天有 101,242 个鸡蛋/骡子。来自 Uspallata 的 Lymnaeids 被证明属于核糖体 DNA 内部转录间隔 (ITS) 标记 ITS-1 和 ITS-2 组合单倍型 3C蒺藜麦. 这些 lymnaeids 在实验上易受来自骡子的卵毛蚴感染。传染性、尾蚴/蜗牛数和脱落期符合增强型F.肝/G. truncatula在非常高的高度传输模式。这表明骡子能够维持F.肝独立循环。发现了 20 和 97 个吸虫的个体负担。骡子感染的易感性介于驴和马之间，尽管更接近后者。解剖病理学和组织病理学表明，大规模感染可能导致骡子死亡。红细胞、血红蛋白、白细胞和淋巴细胞的血液学值降低表明贫血和强烈的免疫抑制。生化标志物值的强烈增加表明肝功能改变。骡子可能在过去通过门多萨省与智利和玻利维亚的交流中发挥了作用。有证据表明，骡子可能有助于两者的传播F.肝和G. truncatula到这些国家的人类片形吸虫病流行地区。