Goats are important in the economy of a country like India. In India, a vast
majority of small-scale farmers depend on sheep and goat rearing as their livelihood.
They can be completely utilized in different forms, such as milk, meat, skin, and
manure. Researchers suggest that the goat sector contributes 8.4% to India’s livestock
GDP. A multitude of different species of parasites make goats their hosts, some of
which can cause significant diseases. A systematic way to identify them is by
examining the organs in which they inhabit. Parasites infecting the liver and pancreas
of goats include Fasciola hepatica, F. gigantica, Fascioloides magna, Dicrocoelium
dendriticum, Ehinococcus granulosus (intermediate stage hydatid cyst occurs in the
liver), Stilesia hepatica, Taenia hydatigena, Eurytrema pancreaticum, etc. Most of
them cause severe damage to liver parenchyma, which, in turn, results in the loss of
production and in some cases, fatality of farm animals. They can also cause internal
bleeding and anemia. These parasites require an intermediate host (mostly snails of the
genus Lymnea, Planorbis, etc) to complete their life cycle. This chapter describes in
detail various parasites affecting the liver and pancreas of goats, their predilection site,
pathogenesis, clinical signs, treatment, and control. Control of intermediate hosts,
especially snails, is an important part of the control of the majority of these parasites.
Hence, due importance is given to the various snail control methods in this chapter.
Recent trends in this aspect are discussed in detail, which will be helpful for the
scientific community.
Keywords: Clinical signs, Control, Epidemiology, Economic impact, Goat, Internal parasites, Immunodiagnosis, Liver, Molecular methods, Pathogenesis, Pancreas, Snails, Snail control, Treatment.
