Fasciolosis in Slaughtered Cattle in Addis Ababa Abattoir, Ethiopia

A cross-sectional study to estimate the prevalence of fasciolosis in slaughtered cattle was conducted between November 2010 and April 2011 in Addis Ababa abattoir, Ethiopia. A total of 600 livers from cattle selected with systematic random sampling were examined for presence and burden of liver fluke. Of 600 examined cattle, 122 (20.3%) were infected with Fasciola. Both species of Fasciola were identified during the study. Fasciola hepatica was recovered from the livers of 91 (15.2%) cattle while F. gigantica was collected from 19 (3.2%) livers. Mixed infection with both species was observed in 7 (1.2 %) animals and 19 (3.2%) cattle were infected with unidentified immature liver flukes. Worm count on the 122 infected livers revealed a mean fluke count of 73.5 per liver, with maximum and minimum fluke count of 152 and 2 respectively. Fasciola infection was highly associated (P <0.001) with body condition. Animals with lean body condition were 6.9 (95%CI=3.60 - 13.15) times more likely to be infected as compared to fat cattle. It is concluded that fasciolosis, due to F. hepatica and F. gigantica, is prevalent in cattle in Ethiopia. Fasciolosis is an economically important disease Study Area and Animals: The study was conducted on of domestic livestock, in particular cattle and sheep. 600 adult cattle slaughtered in Addis Ababa abattoir The disease is caused by digenean trematodes of between November 2010 and April 2011. Addis Ababa is the genus Fasciola, commonly referred to as liver flukes. the capital city of Ethiopia located in the central highlands The two species most commonly implicated as the of the country at an altitude of 2500 m.a.s.l. The cattle etiological agents of fasciolosis are F. hepatica and slaughtered in the abattoir were collected from different F. gigantica. F. hepatica has a worldwide distribution parts of the country which is characterized by widely but predominates in temperate zones while F. gigantica varying climato-ecological conditions mainly due to is found on most continents, primarily in tropical altitudinal differences. It is often difficult to trace the regions (1). origin of the animals as they usually pass a chain of Several abattoir surveys conducted in various markets. Some animals come directly to the abattoir from parts of Ethiopia have demonstrated the presence of grazing while others pass through feedlots where they are fasciolosis, due to F. hepatica and F. gigantica, in routinely de-wormed and fed straw/hay based ruminants. Some studies tried to demonstrate the concentrate. All cattle included in the study, except economic losses associated with liver condemnation (2-5). seven, were male and the majority, except only 16, was Because epidemiology of fasciolosis is dynamic and local indigenous cattle. may change with years (6), it is important to monitor its development to determine trends in prevalence. Study Design and Sampling Procedure: The study was The present study was, therefore, aimed at estimating the cross-sectional study whereby the study animals were prevalence of fasciolosis in cattle brought from different selected from the slaughter line using systematic random parts of the country and slaughtered in Addis Ababa sampling in such a way that 10 animals are examined a day abattoir. from a group of varying number of cattle slaughtered in