Relationship between faecal egg count and chronic status of liver fasciolosis of cattle in slaughtered in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Abstract

Fasciolosis is an economically important parasitic disease of cattle in tropical and subtropical countries that limit productivity of animals. It is caused by Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica. Conventional diagnosis of chronic status of liver fasciolosis during postmortem or meat inspection is not a better method for screening the disease. Biochemical diagnostic can be used for screening but it is very expensive to afford the cost. The current sudy aimed to establish the relationship between faecal egg count and chronic status of liver fasciolosis of cattle in Tanzania. A total of 198 cattle were screed for fasciolosis and found to have fasciolosis. During postmortem meat inspection it was found that 183 (93.2%) livers sampled were lightly affected, 6 (3.1%) livers were moderately affected and 6 (3.1%) livers severely affected. Only F. gingatica was detected in the moderate and severely affected cattle. The chronic status of fasciolosis based on gross pathological lesion and intensity of lesions of affected liver showed that 183 (93.2%) livers sampled were lightly affected, 5 livers were moderately affected and 4 livers severely affected. In moderate and severely affected livers, the number of Fasciola eggs was 9-12 and ≥13, respectively. Cattle from Dodoma were more affected (76.7%) compared to those of from Shinyanga 33 (16.7%) and Singida 13 (6.6%). It is therefore concluded that the relationship faecal egg count and chronic status of liver fasciolosis of cattle could become a better test for screening of the disease of fasciolosis.

Keywords: Chronic liver fasciolosis, soap sedimentation, relationship, diagnosis, feacal egg count.