Detection of Trichinella Antibodies in Slaughtered Pigs and Risk Factors Associated with Trichinellosis in Pig Farms in Kaduna Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to detect antibodies against Trichinella in slaughtered pigs and to identify farm management practices and risk factors associated with trichinellosis in pigs and pig farms in Kaduna Metropolis, Nigeria. A total of 286 pigs, 186 from slaughterhouses and 100 from pig farms, were tested in this study. Serum samples collected from the slaughtered pigs were tested serologically for antibodies for Trichinella by ELISA using excretory-secretory (E/S) antigen. Out of the 186 pig serum samples collected from slaughtered pigs at the main pig abattoir in Kaduna Metropolis, 56 were from juvenile pigs (10.7%) and 130 from adult pigs (14.6%). Male pigs had a prevalence rate of 12.6%, which was slightly lower than that of the females (14.1%). An overall prevalence rate of 13.4% was observed in this study. The age and sex of the animals were not associated with the infection. Also, a survey of 100 slaughtered pigs from 100 pig farms was carried out. From the structured questionnaire administered, 90% of the pig farmers had scavenging pigs, 98% had seen rodents around and within their piggeries, 85% had no rodents control program, 70% feed their pigs with food leftovers, 4% had seen their pigs interact with stray pigs, 16% feed their pigs with dead animals, and 10% had seen snakes around their piggeries. Only 2% were aware of trichinellosis while 30% knew of pork-borne diseases. Significant association existed between all the risk factors studied in the backyard pig farms visited with trichinellosis except for factors such as rodents around and within pig pens. The result also classified the distribution of pig owners based on farm management practices into categories of extensive (55%), semi-intensive (40%), and intensive (5%) with prevalence rates of 96.4%, 70.0% and 0.0% respectively. The survey established serological evidence of trichinellosis in slaughtered pigs in Kaduna Metropolis, Nigeria.