SARCOCYSTIS INFECTION IN CATTLE AND PIGS AND ITS PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS IN ZARIA, NIGERIA
SARCOCYSTIS INFECTION IN CATTLE AND PIGS AND ITS PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS IN ZARIA, NIGERIA
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Date
2012-01
Authors
OBIJIAKU, Ifeoma Nancy
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Abstract
Sarcocystis infection is a parasitic zoonosis which causes acute and fatal clinical
diseases in food animals and musculoskeletal pain, diarrhoea and cardiomyopathy in
humans. Infected beef and pork are capable of causing systemic sarcocystosis in man;
hence it is imperative to determine the prevalence of the infection. This study was
designed to determine the prevalence of Sarcocystis infection in slaughtered cattle and
pigs, dogs and humans in Zaria and to identify risk factors associated with the infection.
A cross sectional study was designed in which 200 dog faecal samples were collected
from Ahmadu Bello University Veterinary Teaching Hospital and dog slaughter areas.
Faecal samples were collected from 390 patients from randomly selected hospitals and
volunteers and information on the type of food/meat eaten, source of water, and
preparation of meat/food and access to pets were obtained. Sucrose floatation technique
was used to analyse faecal samples. Tissues samples (oesophagus and diaphragm) were
collected from 200 cattle and 100 pigs from slaughter houses. These were analysed by
pepsin-hydrochloric acid digestion and stained with Giemsa. Histological sections of
tissues were stained using Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E). Measurement of sporocyst
and sarcocyst were performed for identification of species. One (0.5 %) dog was
positive for sporocysts and no human sample was positive. Faecal samples from cattle
and pigs were not positive. Eighty-five (42.5 %) cattle and 60 (60.0 %) pigs were
positive for sarcocyst by tissue digestion. Tissue digestion was more efficient in
detecting sarcocysts/bradyzoites than histology. In cattle, sarcocysts were found more
in the oesophagus than the diaphragm (p < 0.05) while in pigs, there was no significant
difference in the level of infectivity between oesophagus and diaphragm (p > 0.05).
Age, sex and breed did not significantly influence the prevalence of Sarcocystis
infection (p > 0.05). Leucocytic infiltrations were observed in oesophageal tissues of
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cattle and pigs which were mostly lymphocytes and few eosinophils. Sarcocystis cruzi
(99.0 %) and S. hominis (4.0 %) were identified in cattle while S. meischeriana (25.0
%) and possibly S. porcifelis (85.0 %) were identified in pigs. Species identified in
dogs could be S. tenella, S. capracanis or S. bertrami or a mixture of the species.
Questionnaire analysis shows that none of the respondents was aware of Sarcocystis
infection. About 92.2 % reported boiling and frying meat before consumption. Sixtyone
percent reported consuming suya, meat pie, sausages and burger occasionally while
22.2 % do so regularly. Also, 98.7 % consume vegetables which were mostly washed
twice (49.8 %) with water and salt (64.8 %) and added directly to food to cook. Eight
percent reported feeding raw meat to their pets and 62.2 % reported having wells which
were covered, cemented and above ground level. This study has established the
prevalence of Sarcocystis infection in cattle, pigs and dogs in the study area. Identified
species were of public health importance. Adequate heat treatment of meat and none
feeding of raw meat to pets is advocated.
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POST-GRADUATE
STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA, NIGERIA
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE
AWARD OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN VETERINARY PUBLIC
HEALTH AND PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
DEPARTMENT OF VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH AND
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY,
ZARIA, NIGERIA.
Keywords
SARCOCYSTIS, INFECTION, CATTLE, PIGS, PUBLIC, HEALTH, IMPLICATIONS, ZARIA, NIGERIA