Prevalence and economic impact of bovine fasciolosis at the kampala city abattoir

This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of bovine fasciolosis in indigenous cattle slaughtered I Kampala City abattoir and to compare the diagnostic efficiency of faecal and post mortem examination.The study also assessed the economic impact of bovine fasciolosis associated with liver condemnation in the abattoir and weight loss to the animal.Methods;A cross sectional experimental study of bovine fasciolosis was conducted using post mortem liver and faecal examination of slaughtered animals. A total of 511 slaughtered cattle were examined at post mortem and Fasciola species were recorded. The number of eggs per gram of faeces was determined using the standard Macmaster method. The formula a+b+c to determine the total annual loss was used according to Ogunrinade and Adegoke 1982.Results;Of the 511 livers and faecal samples examined,429(84%) and 358(70%) were positive for fasciolosis respectively. The prevalence of fasciolosis recorded in this study was higher than that recorded by other researchers in Uganda. The study also showed a strong relationship between faecal examination and post mortem findings of liver lesions though post mortem examination may be considered a better diagnostic tool for fasciolosis(k=213,P<0.05).The abattoir lost a total of 231,186,550,000 Uganda Shillings (92,474,620 U.S dollars) annually on totally condemned liver. Conclusion; The prevalence of bovine fasciolosis amongst cattle slaughtered in Kampala City trader’s abattoir is high. Great economic losses as a result of condemnation of infected livers were incurred and that F.gigantica is the main species of liver flakes affecting all cattle in the districts of Uganda. Local climatic factors, cattle population and the presence of the snail intermediate hosts are probably the main drivers influencing the incidence of the disease in the various districts of the country. This disease therefore deserves serious attention by the various stakeholders in order to promote the beef industry in the study area in particular and in the country in general.