Prevalence of hydatidosis among food animals in semi-arid North-Eastern Nigeria

Abstract

The prevalence of hydatidosis in slaughter food animals was investigated inMaiduguribetween February and June, 1998.  Out of 15,155 animals examined at theMaidugurimetropolitan abattoir, 547 (3.6%) were harbouring hydatid cysts.  More camels (9.4%) were infected followed respectively by goats (2.1%), sheep (1.4%) and cattle (1.1%).  The study also revealed that female (4.6%) and adult (4.2%) animals respectively had significantly more (P<0.05) infection than the males (2.6%) and young (1.1%) ones.  The prevalence of the infection was significantly higher in extensively reared (4.3%) than intensively (0.8%) managed animals (P<0.05).  Although infection was encountered in the animals during all months of the study, they were generally highest in June (5.1%) and lowest in March (2.8%).

      A total of 1,017 cysts were recovered from the various organs of the animals examined during the study with the lungs showing the highest cyst burden (73.9%), followed respectively by the liver (25.1%) and the spleen (1.0%).  Also, cyst counts were higher in camels (695) compared to cattle (149), goats (108) and sheep (65). The mean size of cysts encountered were largest for those recovered from the lungs (4cm) compared to those from the liver (3.3cm) and spleen (3cm).  Most of the cysts recovered were sterile (36.3%), followed respectively by fertile (25.8%), immature (16.9%), calcified (14.7%) and suppurative (6.4%) forms.