Efficacy of triclabendazole and albendazole against Fasciola spp. infection in cattle in Côte d'Ivoire: a randomised blinded trial

•First triclabendazole randomised trial against bovine fascioliasis in Côte d'Ivoire.•Triclabendazole showed a higher proportion of non-egg shedding cattle than albendazole.•Triclabendazole had a higher egg reduction rate compared to albendazole.•Triclabendazole had a lower reinfection rate than albendazole. Triclabendazole is the anthelminthic of choice for the treatment of fascioliasis, however, it is only registered in a few countries. We investigated the efficacy of a single-dose of triclabendazole (12 mg/kg) or albendazole (15 mg/kg) against Fasciola spp. infection in cattle on farms in the northern part of Côte d'Ivoire in a randomized clinical trial. Faecal samples were obtained from 196 cattle, of which 155 (79.1%) were found positive for Fasciola spp. by the sedimentation technique. Cattle infected with Fasciola spp. were randomly allocated (3:3:1) to receive triclabendazole (n = 66), albendazole (n = 67) or left untreated to serve as control (n = 22). Follow-up faecal samples were collected on days 21, 28, 90 and 188 post-treatment. No adverse events were observed as reported by farmers in any of the treatment groups. The proportion of non-egg shedding cattle, assessed at day 21 (primary outcome), was significantly higher in cattle treated with triclabendazole (95.4%) compared to those receiving albendazole (70.3%; odds ratio [OR] 8.73, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.43-31.28, p