Bovine Fasciolosis in Slaughtered Cattle at Akinyele, Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

Bovine Fasciolosis poses significant public health problems and is of great concern for all livestock farmers. Studies on bovine Fasciolosis have been carried out in different abattoirs in Nigeria. However, there is no study on bovine fasciolosis at the Akinyele Central Abattoir, Ibadan. Our study aimed to determine the prevalence of bovine Fasciolosis and associated risk factors, the most prevalent Fasciola spp. , fluke burden and severity of liver lesions, and the correlation between fluke burden and severity of liver lesions at the Akinyele Central Abattoir, Ibadan. A total of 640 slaughtered cattle were sampled over the course of a year. During the postmortem examination, the liver was examined for the presence of flukes, which were identified at the species level. The flukes in each liver were counted, and liver lesions were classified based on severity. The prevalence of bovine Fasciolosis was 20%, with Fasciola gigantica (78.1%) being the most common species. Fasciolosis in the wet season (26.5%) was significantly (P < 0.05) more prevalent than in the dry season (8.6%). The fluke burden of 3 to 20 flukes (65.6%) was the most prevalent. Most of the livers with Fasciolosis were moderately affected (50%). There was a moderate correlation between fluke burden and the severity of the liver lesion. Bovine fasciolosis is prevalent in Akinyele Central Abattoir, Ibadan, with season being the only identified risk factor. It is recommended that regular deworming be initiated for the control and prevention of bovine Fasciolosis before and after the rainy season.