A slaughterhouse survey of liver lesions in slaughtered cattle, sheep and goats at Arusha, Tanzania

L.S.B. MellauH.E. Nonga and E.D. Karimuribo

ABSTRACT


This study, reviews a 3 year period (2005 to 2007) record of slaughtered cattle, sheep and goats at Arusha abattoir in Northern Tanzania. It aimed to determine the prevalence of disease conditions affecting the liver. A total of 115186 cattle, 61551 sheep and 37850 goats were slaughtered and 18829 (16.3%), 10515 (17.1%) and 7011 (18.5%) livers of cattle, sheep and goats respectively were condemned due to 11 diseases/conditions namely fasciolosis, stilesiosis, hydatidosis, calcified cysts, abscess, Cysticercus tenuicollis infection, telangiectasis, hepatitis, fatty degeneration, melanosis and liver cirrhosis. Of the slaughtered cattle, in sheep and goats a significantly (p<0.05) higher prevalence of fasciolosis was recorded in cattle liver (8.6%) than sheep (3.1%) and goats (3.1%). Collectively, fasciolosis was the leading cause of liver condemnation and was responsible for 52.6, 18.2 and 16.9% of total liver condemnations in cattle, sheep and goats respectively. Highest percent of liver condemnations were observed during the rain season (March to June). Because of their zoonotic nature, the observed high frequency of hydatidosis, fasciolosis and C. tenuicollis infections is thought to pose a public health risk among consumers. The public health implications of the quantity of infected livers condemned on consumers and the role which post-mortem inspection plays in safeguarding the health of the public is enormous. Although the data obtained from this survey could not be wholly relied upon as accurate, it can be used as a baseline for the proper evaluation of the status of these liver diseases in future co-ordinated researches.

 

DOI: 10.3923/rjvs.2010.179.188

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