Abstract
Bovine cysticercosis is an infection of cattle caused by the larval stage, Cysticercus bovis of the human intestinal cestode, Taenia saginata . It is an infection of public health significance as eating of raw or undercooked beef results in taeniasis in human population and an important cause of economic loss mainly due to condemnation and downgrading of infected carcasses. A cross sectional study was conducted during April 2016 to August 2016 to estimate the prevalence of bovine cysticercosis in cattle slaughtered at Meki municipal abattoir. Routine inspection of carcasses and viability test were amongst the methods employed during data collection. Post mortem examination of 876 slaughtered cattle showed that 269 (30.7%) were infected with T. saginata . Out of the total 447 cysts detected, 216(48.3%) were found to be viable, while 231(51.7%) were died cysts. The tongue, lung, masseter muscles, heart and triceps muscles were the main predilection sites of the cysts. Anatomical distribution based analysis of the cyst showed that highest proportions were observed in tongueas (15.5%) followed by lung (14.4%), masseter muscle 90(10.3%), heart 61(6.9%) and triceps muscle 34(3.9%). Out of the 785 male cattle examined, 237 (30.2%) had cysts of bovine cysticercosis while 32 (35.2%) of the 91 female were infected. The prevalence varied significantly (P<0.05) between age groups, origin of animals and body condition score of animals, but no significant variation between sex of the animals. With respect to viable cysts, it was revealed that lung (51.1%), tongue (48.9%), heart (28.6%), masseter muscle (19.5%) and triceps muscle (14.3%) were infected in decreasing order. The current study suggests that high prevalence of T. saginata metacestodes were observed in the source of animals and therefore sufficient emphasis should be given to this problem so as to improve health, quality and quantity of bovine that may satisfy the domestic requirements of the area and the country as general. Keywords: Bovine, cysticercosis bovis, prevalence, Meki abattoir, Ethiopia DOI : 10.7176/JBAH/9-7-09 Publication date : April 30 th 2019
Highlights
In Ethiopia, meat inspection was started in 1910’s with the aim of improving productivity and trade of livestock and their products as well as protecting the public from zoonotic diseases
Tongue, triceps muscles, lungs and heart are the organs that were inspected for the presence or absence of cysticercus bovis
Cysticercosis bovis was found with higher number of cysts encountered in the tongue 15.5%, followed by lungs, masseter muscles, heart and triceps muscles (Table 1)
Summary
In Ethiopia, meat inspection was started in 1910’s with the aim of improving productivity and trade of livestock and their products as well as protecting the public from zoonotic diseases. The occurrence of the larvae (cysticercus bovis) in cattle musculature causes bovine cysticercosis while the adult worms in human small intestine cause taeniasis (Neva and Brown, 1994; WHO, 1996; Minozzo et al, 2002). An infected animal releases gravid segments that are shed by the adult fall to the ground and release eggs on the ground. The clinical effect of cysticercosis on infected animals is generally not significant, but it is economically important as it causes carcass condemnation as well as the cost of inspecting meat, the necessity to freeze or boil infected meat and losses may occur from the restriction of live animal and animal products (Soulsby, 1982)
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