Prevalence, viability and fertility study of bovine cystic echinococcosis in Mekelle City, Northern Ethiopia.

摘要

This paper reports the results of a study conducted from March 2006 to July 2006 at Mekelle city municipality abattoir, Northern Ethiopia. The objectives of the study were to establish a baseline data on the status of cystic echinococcosis (CE), report the viability of protoscolices and the fertility of bovine CE. The study design involved ante- and postmortem inspection and hydatid cyst characterization. 66 (17.55%, n=376) animals were found infected, and 74 visceral organs were found harbouring one or more hydatid cysts. 97.3% of the identified cysts involved the lung and liver, while the lung shared 78.4% of the infected organs. The spleen and the heart were found less affected. The number of cysts per organ ranged from one in many organs to 20 in the lung. The average number of cysts per infected organ was 1.86, 1.07 and 1 for lung, liver and the others, respectively. Out of the 125 cysts recovered, 39.5, 18.4, 12.8 and 29.6% cysts were small (diameter <2 cm), medium (diameter 2-4 cm), large (diameter >4 cm) and calcified, respectively. The rate of calcification was higher in the liver than the others. Out of 125 cysts examined, 52% were sterile, 29.6% calcified and 18.4% fertile out of which 56.5% were viable cysts. The cyst condition by organ involvement was found to be 53.7% sterile, 17.6% fertile of which 63.2% were viable and 27.8% were calcified in the lung while 33.3% sterile, 26.7% fertile of which 25% viable, and 46.7% were calcified in the liver, but cysts in spleen and heart were all sterile.