Abstract:
Coenurosis is a disease caused by Coenurus
cerebralis, the larval stage of Taenia multiceps, particularly affecting sheep and goats. T. serialis and T. brauni could also
cause coenurosis. The final hosts are domestic and wild canidae.
Cross sectional study was conducted from November 2014 to
March 2015 to estimate the prevalence and associated risk factors of Coenurus cerebralis in both sheep and goats in Legahida
backyard slabs. The estimation of its economic burden and assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of the
pastoral and agro-pastoral communities were also performed
for which questionnaire survey was used. A total of 412 sheep
and goats were examined for C. cerebralis cysts. From this, 52
(12.6%) (95% CI 9.4, 15.8) of them were positive for
T.multiceps cyst/s in one or different parts of the brain. The cyst
numbers in the brains varied from 1 to 5. The prevalence in
sheep is statistically significantly different compared to that in
the goats (P = 0.003). The prevalence according to age groups
(categorized as less than 2 years, 2 to 4 years, and older than
4 years) was found statistically highly significantly different
(P = 0.000). Cysts were more recovered from the cerebrum
(88.4%), followed by cerebellum (10.5%), and median fissure
(1.16%). Non parametric correlation analysis between pathognomonic clinical sign and cyst recovery from the brain is very
high correlation coefficient (CC = 0.956). Clinical disease and
cyst location are also highly positively correlated with the coefficient of (CC = 0.826) left hemisphere and 0.802 right hemisphere. The size of the cyst is positively correlated with clinical
disease (CC = 0.797). The questionnaire data revealed that
(72%) of the respondents own dogs, and deworming practice
is very small (92% are not practicing). 47.4% of total respondents complained dog feces as the cause of the disease. The
monetary losses from mortality during last year was estimated
to be 398,250 ETB (19,432.61US$) whereas average monetary
losses from esthetic value of 50 clinically diseased animals was
about 17,500 ETB; wage loss from treatment seeking, loss from
treatment costs, and indirect losses from poor carcass weight
were 1250, 3120, and 65,318.4 birr, respectively. These monetary loss totals to the sum of 485,438.4 ETB ($23679.92) per
year at BLegahida^district. Thus, the study revealed that
C. cerebralis is economically important disease of sheep and
goats in and around Legahida district, and effective control measures must be taken.
