Abstract:
A total of 768 cattle were randomly selected among those animals slaughtered at Adwa
municipal abattoir to determine the prevalence and the economic loss due to liver
condemnation. Following post-mortem examination, 248 (32.3%) cattle were positive for
fasciolosis. According to the intensity of pathological lesions, 84 (33.8%) constituted severely
affected livers; the rest, 81 (32.7%), 55 (22.2%) and 28 (11.3%) were moderately affected, lightly
affected and undifferentiated, respectively. The number of fluke recovered in moderately
affected livers was higher (Mean = 91) than that of either severely (Mean = 60) or lightly
(Mean= 38) affected livers. There was a statistically significant association (P<0.05) between
the different levels of intensity of pathological lesion and fasciolosis prevalence. Species
identification revealed that Fasciola hepatica was more prevalent (13.9%) as compared to
Fasciola gigantica (7.7%); certain proportion of animals (6.0%) harbored mixed infection and
others unidentified immature fluke (4.7%). Statistically significant variation was observed in
the prevalence of fasciolosis among animals with poor, medium and good body conditions
(P<0.05). The direct economic loss as a result of liver condemnation was on average 57,960
Ethiopian Birr (4,674.2 USD) per annum indicating that the disease is economically important.
Finally, the abattoir based prevalence recorded in the study area and the loss incurred
suggests that a detailed epidemiological study as well as assessment of the overall economic
loss due to fasciolosis is required to implement systematic disease prevention and control
methods.
