Taenia saginata cysticercosis in Oyo State, Nigeria

A retrospective analysis of abattoir records in Oyo State of Nigeria showed that 0.45% the total 661,048 cattle carcasses inspected between 1989 and 1998 had Cysticercus bovis . Participatory meat inspection at Moniya slaughter slab in Ibadan between August and October, 2000 showed that 1.76% of the 1,413 carcasses examined were infected. The predilection sites were tongue, heart, masseter muscle, liver and lung in that order with multiple organs affected in 28% of the carcasses. Seventy-two percent of the infected carcasses had a total of 160 viable cysts. A serological survey was conducted to detect circulating parasite antigens in serum samples of trade cattle using a monoclonal antibody-based sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Ag-ELISA). Thirty-four (12.8%) of the 265 serum samples screened were positive while cysticerci cysts were detected in only 9 (3.4%) of the corresponding carcasses during routine meat inspection. Sero-prevalence was positively correlated with ages of the animals while sex and breed had no significant effect, respectively. Improved meat inspections at abattoirs and with the adoption of the highly sensitive ante-mortem serological diagnosis technique will obviously result in the establishment of the true prevalent status of the infection in Nigeria and also facilitate effective control and eradication of the disease in man and animals. Keywords : Taenia saginata , cattle, Ag-ELISA Tropical Veterinarian Vol. 22(3&4) 2004: 113-117