Prevalence of fascioliasis in cattle slaughtered at a municipal abattoir in Choba, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Abstract

The study was aimed at determining the prevalence and intensity of fascioliasis in cattle slaughtered at the abattoir in Choba Port Harcourt, Rivers State. A total of one hundred and forty-two (142) samples of cattle slaughtered at the abattoir were examined for fascioliasis, by direct microscopy of faeces and bile. Formol-ether concentration technique was used to examine the faecal and bile samples for the eggs of Fasciola gigantica. Out of the 142 samples examined, a total of 34 (23.9%) of faecal samples were positive for eggs of F. gigantic while a total of 90 (63.4%) of bile samples showed positive for eggs of F. gigantica. The data obtained were analyzed using percentage (%) prevalence and chi-square for the significant difference at p<0.05 level. Result revealed that the bile samples showed higher positive prevalence than the faecal samples for eggs of F. Gigantic and the intensities of eggs of F. gigantic were higher in bile samples than in the faecal samples. The study concluded that the high intensities of F. gigantica eggs were potential risk factors for direct prevalence in the abattoir. It is recommended that sanitation improvement and health education, treatment of infected animals and destruction of molluscan hosts by the use of molluscicides will help to reduce the spread.