Pathological lesion survey and financial losses associated with organs and carcass condemnation in cattle slaughtered at selected abattoirs in Ethiopia

Abstract

A cross sectional study was conducted from September, 2014 to August, 2015 on cattle brought to Bachuma, Aleta Wondo and Masha abattoirs in SNNPR to investigate major pathological conditions attributing to organs and carcasses condemnations and to estimate the direct financial losses. For this, a total of 1152 cattle were included in the study using systematic random sampling, of which 56(4.86%) animals showed signs of diseases and abnormalities; 21(1.82%) were conditionally approved and 35(3.04%) were rejected. The results indicated that adult male cattle with body conditions had statistically higher (p<0.05) rejection probabilities. On post-mortem examination, a total of 1965 gross lesions resulting in condemnations of organs and carcasses were investigated. Fasciolosis, hydatidosis, cirrhosis, and focal to multiple abscessation scalcification, tuberculosis and contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) lesions, tumor, serous atrophy of fat and myositis were some of the abnormalities causing condemnation of organs and carcasses. Based on average price of condemned organs and carcasses, the annual loss was estimated to be US $ 68, 513.11. The highest financial loss was found to be due to carcasses rejections followed by liver and tongue condemnations with estimated losses of US $ 33656.95, 16831.15 and 6647.8, respectively, and the least encountered loss was US $ 453.14 by spleen. The highest condemnation rate was found at Aleta Wondo (37.5%) with US $ 28, 868.47 loss than condemnation rates at Bachuma (32.1%) and Masha (30.7%) abattoirs with US $14977.21 and 24667.43 losses, respectively.