Analysis of post-mortem diagnosis of bovine cysticercosis in Kenyan cattle

Abstract

A total of 55 cattle divided into two groups of experimentally (n =30) and naturally (n = 25) infected animals were used to study the reliability of meat inspection methods in Kenya. Total dissection method was used as a gold standard to indicate the absence or presence of bovine cysticercosis infection in cattle. The level of agreement between the two methods was, on average, lower in naturally infected animals than in artificially infected calves. This was because in natural infections, there were more light infections than in experimental infections and these could not be detected by meat inspection method. The results further confirm that in spite of the time and effort taken by meat inspectors in looking for cysticerci at predilection sites, this method is very insensitive. It was therefore recommended that more parts of the carcass not currently inspected according to the Kenya Meat Control Act – 1977, for bovine cysticercosis such as hind legs, ribs, lungs and liver, need to be considered as possible and equally important predilection sites and larger areas of these predilection sites should be examined. However, other better sensitive ante-mortem diagnostic methods should be developed to assist in the integrated management of the infection.