Prevalence, Fertility, and Viability of Cystic Echinococcosis in Cattle Slaughtered at Adaba Abattoir, West Arsi Zone, Ethiopia

Introduction: Cystic echinococcosis is a zoonotic infection caused by larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus, which is a widely prevalent disease of public health and economic importance. This cross-sectional study was undertaken from January to July 2019 in Adaba abattoir to estimate the prevalence of cystic echinococcosis, investigate its potential risk factors, and to characterize the cysts. Materials and Methods: A total of 400 samples were collected and processed. The study animals were chosen using a simple random sampling method. Potential risk factors were assessed by ante-mortem examination. A post-mortem examination was also performed, which included a primary examination (visual inspection and palpation of the lung, liver, heart, spleen, and kidney) and a secondary examination (incisions into each organ in the presence of one or more hydatid cysts). The total number of cysts found per organ and their sizes were recorded. The prevalence of cystic echinococcosis was summarized using descriptive statistics, and the chi-square test was used to assess infection status in relation to the hypothesized risk factors. A probability level of P < 0.05 was set for statistical significance. Results: The overall prevalence of cystic echinococcosis was recorded to be 34.5% (95% CI: 14.69-22.90). The disease was statistically significantly (P < 0.05) associated with age and body condition scores, but insignificantly (P3> 0.05) associated with gender. Of the total of infected cattle, a large number of cysts were found in lung 60 (35.7%). After characterization of the cysts based on size, 69 (48.9%), 62 (43.9%), and 10 (7.1%) cysts were categorized as small, medium, and large, respectively. Of the total cysts examined, 27 (16%) were calcified, 101 (60.1%) were sterile, and 33 (23.9%) were fertile. Out of the total fertile cysts identified, 25 (62.5%) were found to be viable and 15 (37.5%) were non-viable cysts. Conclusion: It is deduced that cystic echinococcosis is widespread in cattle slaughtered and it is a major cause of organ condemnation at Adaba abattoir. Therefore, it is imperative that efficient meat inspection service and safe disposal of condemned organs should be meticulously practiced in order to control this parasitic zoonosis.