Fasciola hepatica is responsible for causing a food-borne trematode infection, worldwide. The infection affects domestic and wild animals and humans. In addition to F. hepatica, two other species are known, Fasciola gigantica and Fasciola nyanzae (Alba et al., 2020, Bargues et al., 2022), but only F. hepatica and F. gigantica have been associated with infections in humans (Mas-Coma et al., 2009, Sabourin et al., 2018, Lalor et al., 2021). The parasite affects the liver and uses freshwater mollusks of the Lymnaeidae family (Radix in Africa and Asia, and Galba/Fossaria in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania) as intermediate hosts (IH) (Bargues et al., 2022). The main species of mollusk known in the transmission cycle of F. hepatica in Brazil is Pseudosuccinea columella. This IH is distributed in the southern and southeastern regions of Brazil, with few occurrences in other regions (Medeiros et al., 2014).

Infection by Fasciola spp. can cause chronic lesions in the biliary tract, depending on the number of ingested eggs and the host’s immune and nutritional status (Mas-Coma et al., 2009). However, clinical signs are common in other diseases, making diagnosis challenging, especially in humans. Apathy, abdominal pain, anemia, and severe weight loss can be observed (Bloemhoff et al., 2015, Lalor et al., 2021). The diversity of clinical signs and different onset times can interfere with the estimation of disease morbidity and mortality (Alba et al., 2020). An estimated 180 million people are at risk of infection, with a prevalence of 30 to 70 million cases of Fasciola spp. infection worldwide (Sabourin et al., 2018). Animal infection is highly prevalent in over 600 million cattle (Toet et al., 2014). The infection leads to global losses of US $3.2 billion per year due to reduced weight gain and milk production (Alba et al., 2020). Annual losses in Brazil are estimated at US$210 million (Molento et al., 2020).

Considered a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) (Rojas et al., 2010, Mas-Coma et al., 2019, Alba et al., 2020), fasciolosis has ceased to be a secondary concern and has become a parasitic disease of notable importance, gaining prominence on the World Health Organization’s agenda as a priority disease to be eradicated or controlled (WHO, 2013). However, controlling the disease is extremely challenging due to its complex epidemiology, which can be influenced by environmental factors (climate and land use), social factors (low-income countries), and biological factors (ecological invasion by species such as cattle) (Mas-Coma et al., 2019, Alba et al., 2020).

Changes in land use practices exert an important influence on the distribution and prevalence of the disease, by favoring increased opportunities for interaction between the parasite and its hosts. Large areas of pastureland designated for livestock farming may include bodies of water, large-scale drainage systems, ditches, and irrigation systems, often used to meet the demands of beef production (Robinson et al., 2011). This creates favorable environments for development of the intermediate host (IH) close to the definitive host (DH), resulting in an increased probability of infection when the parasite is present (Alba et al., 2020).

In Brazil, land use and land cover are heavily influenced by livestock production, resulting in the creation of extensive pasture areas, primarily driven by the movement of cattle from the southern and southeastern regions to the northern part of the country. McMannus et al. (2016) reported an increase of up to 40% in the cattle population in the north, a movement led by humans. Deforestation for the establishment of pasture and agricultural production areas has been a consequence of this expansion, encroaching upon fragile biomes (Skidmore et al., 2021). Another consequence, besides deforestation, is the sanitary risks associated with this movement of cattle without authorizations, inspections at interstate borders, and the lack of rigorous veterinary sanitary protocols. Control measures contribute to increasing animal safety and preventing the spread of diseases (e.g., tuberculosis and foot-and-mouth disease). Unfortunately, little to no inspection of neglected diseases is being carried out in Brazil or other regions. In this context, infected animals can be moved to areas with no disease records (Machado et al., 2019, Dadar et al., 2022). In Australia, the state of Western Australia is a region that is free from F. hepatica infection, maintained through compulsory fasciolicide treatment of all animals entering the state (Palmer et al., 2014).

The movement of cattle without inspection to new pasture areas produces, in addition to impacts on environmental and animal health, impacts on human health. Human fasciolosis is generally associated with areas of animal infection (Mas-Coma et al., 1999, Esteban et al., 2002, Ashrafi et al., 2015). The occurrence of F. hepatica in humans in the Brazilian Amazon (Maciel et al., 2018) indicates the active spread of the parasite to northern Brazil. The exploitation of land in the southern Amazon region, including protected areas and indigenous lands, for cattle production (Garcia et al., 2017) can result in underdiagnosis due to limited medical access and scarce laboratory facilities in remote areas (M.B. Molento, personal communication), hiding the risk of spreading the disease (Ekwem et al., 2021). The objective of this study was to examine the impacts of modification in land use and cover practices over 18 years, and their implications for the temporal changes in distribution of F. hepatica in Brazil.