"28 kDa FASCIOLA GIGANTICA CYSTEINE PROTEINASE (FgCL3) BASED SERO-DIAGNOSIS OF BOVINE TROPICAL FASCIOLOSIS IN THE DAIRY ANIMALS OF PUNJAB, INDIA"

INTRODUCTIONFasciolosis, commonly called liver fluke disease, is of paramount importance worldwide due to the wide spectrum of definitive hosts.Fasciola gigantica, mostly prevalent in Asia and Africa, is a major cause of production losses in ruminants including dairy animals.Losses associated with the disease include reduced milk yield, poor carcass quality, liver condemnation, and reproductive failure.The annual worldwide losses in animal productivity due to fasciolosis have been estimated at over US$ 3 billion [1].Reports of the infection in more than 17 million people worldwide and its significant public health concerns are also documented [2].Microscopic fecal examination is the conventional gold standard diagnostic approach with limited utility in early as well as chronic infections.Liver injury is indicated by early biochemical changes [3].In the infected animals, however, the role of fasciolosis still needs laboratory confirmation stipulating a simple, sensitive, and specific test for early diagnosis of fasciolosis.In this regard,