Development of a pen-side test for liver fluke in cattle and sheep.

片形吸虫病是牛羊的一种主要疾病，是农业中的一个关键问题。它是由肝片形吸虫（一种肝吸虫）寄生虫引起的，并通过摄入被寄生虫感染阶段污染的水或植物而获得。寄生虫继续在牛和羊的肝脏中定居，在那里它们以肝细胞和血液为食。这些寄生虫的存在导致产奶量减少、生育力差和围产期损失高，以及牛的慢性体重下降。除了在牛身上看到的这些影响外，急性疾病还可导致绵羊因出血和肝损伤而突然死亡。这些影响反过来又造成经济损失，据估计全球损失达1.312亿英镑。目前对片形吸虫病的诊断是基于急性/亚急性疾病的流行病学数据和血液样本（用于肝酶升高），以及慢性疾病的粪便中有卵的证据。已经开发了许多酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）技术，然而，这些技术和卵子计数都必须在具有专业知识的中央实验室进行，并且可能需要几天时间才能完成，因此显然需要一种简单快速的分散测试。该项目的目标是开发一种畜栏侧侧流装置（LFD），用于从粪便样本中诊断牛羊的片形虫病，目的是生产一种简单、快速的检测方法，使农民和兽医能够在知情的情况下决定是否需要治疗。

Fasciolosis is a major disease of cattle and sheep and is a key problem within the farming industry. It is caused by the parasite, Fasciola hepatica (a liver fluke), and is acquired by the ingestion of water or vegetation contaminated by the infectious stage of the parasite. The parasite goes on to colonise the liver of cattle and sheep where they feed on liver cells and blood. The presence of these parasites causes reduced milk yields, poor fertility and high perinatal loses, and chronic weight loss in cattle. In addition to these effects seen in cattle, acute disease can cause sudden death from haemorrhage and liver damage in sheep. These effects in turn cause economic losses, estimated to be £1312 million worldwide. Currently diagnosis of fasciolosis is based upon epidemiological data and blood samples (for raised liver enzymes) in the acute/sub-acute disease, and the demonstration of eggs in faeces in chronic disease. A number of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques have also been developed, however, both these and egg counts have to be carried out in central laboratories with the expertise to do so and can take several days to perform, thus there is a clear need for a simple rapid decentralised test. The project will aim to develop a pen-side lateral flow device (LFD) for the diagnosis of fasciolosis in cattle and sheep from faecal samples, with the aim of producing a simple to use, rapid test that will allow farmers and veterinarians to make informed decisions on whether treatment is required.