A tentative case of tuberculosis detected at postmortem examination of animal carcasses slaughtered at some local slaughter slabs in north-western Nigeria

Abstract

This study was carried out in Bakura local government area of Zamfara State, Nigeria, where a total number of 592 cattle carcasses were sampled at different slaughter slabs for a period of six months, out of the cattle carcasses sampled at postmortem examination, 28 were found positive with granulomatous lesions as seen in bovine tuberculosis. Similarly, 910 sheep were sampled with 9 cases positive for tuberculosis and with a prevalence rate of 0.99%. In this study also, a total number of 894 goats were sampled with 12 goats being positive for tuberculosis and a prevalence rate of 1.34% was recorded for the total goats sampled. The diagnoses were however tentative, based on the presented gross tubercle lesions as seen on the carcasses. Tuberculosis is a zoonotic disease which affects human being as well as animals; it is of public health importance and hence the public, more especially, butchers and other abattoir workers need to be properly enlightened on the risks associated in handling infected carcasses or animals. Although, the study area is a microcosm of the society, it represents a picture of prevalence of the disease in the state. The result obtained can be used to extrapolate other parameters in determining the extent of the spread of tuberculosis in both animal and human population. Though, routine meat inspection is not confirmatory (Isolation and identification of the organism is the gold standard) it is to be noted that the presence of other bacteria like nocardia could present similar nodular lesions. This becomes useful since most slaughter houses and abattoirs here in Nigeria do not have facilities to confirm tuberculosis and similar chronic infections. This call for proper meat inspections procedures which if properly carried out could identify most of animals with visible tuberculous lesions.