Bovine cysticercosis (beef measles) is a zoonotic disease of socio-economic and public health importance that threatens food security and safety (OIE, 2006). In Africa high prevalences of beef measles have been reported in Ethiopia, DRC, Kenya and Nigeria (Gracy and Collins, 1999). Bovine cysticercosis is caused by Cysticercus bovis, the larval stage of the human tapeworm Taenia saginata. This condition results in economic losses with the impact being most severe on resource-poor rural farmers who sell their cattle to provide for daily necessities. The adult stage of the tapeworm can also infect human beings when they ingest inadequately cooked beef, and this leads to conditions such as diarrhea, depression and weakness (Kumar and Tadesse, 20II).
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