Prevalence of Fasciola and Dicrocoelium species infection in Ruminants at Slaughter in Jos Metropolis and Mangu Abattoirs, Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract

The significance and impact of liver fluke infection in ruminants and livestock farming cannot be overemphasized. The study aimed to determine the occurrence and prevalence of Fasciola and Dicrocoelium species in cattle, sheep and goats in Jos metropolis and Mangu, Plateau State, Nigeria. Selected abattoirs and slaughterhouses were visited for collection of bile samples from the slaughtered ruminants between 6–9 a.m. on sampling days. A total of 237 bile samples, comprising 111 cattle, 75 sheep and 51 goats, were obtained and examined for the eggs of liver flukes using the sedimentation technique and microscopy. The prevalences of Fasciola and Dicrocoelium species were 7(6.31%) and 31(27.93%) for cattle; 5(6.67%) and 13(17.33%) for sheep; and 0(0.00% and 12(23.53%) for goats, respectively; with overall prevalence in the ruminants for Fasciola and Dicrocoelium being 5.06% and 23.63%, respectively. This difference was significant (t = -44.92, p = 0.04). The prevalence of Fasciola infection had insignificant (p>0.05) associations with cattle (OR=1.630) and sheep (OR=1.58), but there were no positive samples from goats; for Dicrocoelium species, the infection was insignificantly (p=0.190) associated with cattle (OR=1.56) only. Prevalence for both liver flukes was higher and associated with Mangu abattoir, which was significant for fascioliasis in sheep (OR=19.33, p=0.005) and for dicrocoeliasis in goats (OR=9.52, p=0.004). Whereas fascioliasis was associated with male ruminants, dicrocoeliasis was associated with females, implying that a cost-effective control of liver flukes can be achieved by selective targeted treatment of male ruminants for fascioliasis and females for dicrocoeliasis in the study area.