author(s)
Regha E, Kumar R, Lakkawar AW, Uma S, Das SS and Nair MG

abstract
Parasitism is one of the major problems that affect the productivity of livestock worldwide. The present study was aimed to investigate the pathology of parasitic conditions among the slaughtered and necropsied goats in and around Puducherry. Out of the 1011 goat carcasses examined, gross lesions were recorded in the hepato-biliary systems of 106 (103 slaughtered and 3 necropsied) carcasses. Out of the 106 cases, parasitic hepatitis accounted for 25/106, (23.6%) cases. The different parasitic conditions recorded were cysticercosis 12/106, (11.3%), hydatidosis 11/106, (10.4%) and fasioliasis 2/106, (1.9%) cases. In cysticercosis, the liver was palor and varying sized cysts containing clear fluid with invaginated protoscolises were mostly found attached to the visceral surface of the liver. Hydatid cysts were either seen on the liver surface or embedded in the hepatic parenchyma. The cysts had a thick turgid capsule and varied in size from 0.3 to 1.5 cm in diameter. Histopathologically, the cyst wall was composed of thick fibrous tissue with intense cellular reaction consisting of eosinophils, neutrophils and lymphocytes along with proliferating fibroblasts. In fascioliasis, the affected livers were swollen with diffused haemorrhagic patches. On incision, flukes emerged out from the liver parenchyma and thickened bile duct. The isolated flukes were identified based on their morphological features as Fasciola hepatica.