Pathology of liver fluke Amphimerus spp. infection in ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) in Haor areas of Bangladesh

Amphimerus spp. is a liver fluke which recently has been shown to have a high prevalence of infection in open air Jinding duck herd in the Haor areas of north-east of Bangladesh. Since it is unknown which animals can act as a reservoir and/or definitive hosts for Amphimerus spp. in this endemic area, a study was carried out to determine the effects in the duck. In November 2017, a total of 69 ducklings of age 75 days were subjected to details of pathological examination for the Amphimerus infection. The results have shown that the liver fluke (Amphimerus anatis) had destroyed 80–90% of the functional tissues of the liver parenchyma of ducks where it inflicted severe damage to all hepatic structures with the consequent development of fibrosis and cirrhosis. Acute extrahepatic obstruction was characterized by a proliferative reaction by the biliary epithelium of the bile ducts. Biliary hyperplasia of bile ductules was often prominent. In severe cases, bridging fibrosis connecting portal tracts have been found to be developed.