Prevalence of Fasciolopsis on Cattle Slaughtered at Eke Market Abattoir Afikpo, Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Abstract

Fascioliasis is a heliminth disease caused by three trematodes. This study determined the prevalence of fasciolopsis among cattle slaughtered at Eke Market abattoir, Afikpo, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Feacal samples collected from the rectum of the slaughtered cattle were analysed, using the standard floatation technique (saturated sodium chloride) to  recover the ova from the faecal samples. Post –mortem examination  of the liver and other organs of  the slaughtered cattle was also done for Fasciola species. Of the 256 cattle slaughtered at the Eke Market abattoir between May 2011 and April 2012, 93(37.89%) were found to be positive with F. hepatica, 60(23.44%) were infected with F. gigantica. The prevalence 25.78% for F. hepatica and 16.41% for F. gigantica. F. hepatica was the most common fasciolopsis infection in the study area. There was the presence of Balantidium coli infection among the cattle sampled, with a prevalence of 17.97%. With the high prevalence of fasciolopsis in the study area, it was
recommended that vertinary and health officers should inspect the cattle slaughtered at the Eke Market before releasing it to the public for consumption.

Keywords:  Fasciolopsis,  prevalence,  cattle,  Fasciola hepatica, Fasciola gigantica