Parasitic causes of liver and heart condemnation and their economic effects in the Lake Victoria Basin: a retrospective abattoir survey in Kisumu Municipality, Kenya

Abstract

Malnutrition is a major cause of human mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa and every effort must be made to conserve the available sources of protein for human use. Animals and especially livestock are a major source of the proteins but livestock production is hampered by such constraints as inadequate feed and various diseases. Parasitic diseases constitute a major impediment to livestock production owing to the direct and indirect losses they cause. For example, in Kenya fasciolosis leads to estimated losses at ₤7 million annually. However, these are conservative estimates since there are only a few studies on the epidemiology and economic importance of these parasites in Kenya. This study was undertaken to determine the causes of liver condemnation between 2003 and2008 and subsequent economic losses from fasciolosis using slaughter house data in Kisumu Municipality for the year 2007-2008. The role of muscular cysticercosis produced by larval forms of Taenia saginata as a cause of heart condemnation among slaughtered cattle was also included in this study. During 2003-2008, the percentage of cattle that had Fasciola infections ranged from 3% in 2003 to 7.13% in 2006. An average of 5.15% cattle was diagnosed with liver fluke infections every year. The proportion of livers condemned for liver flukes ranged from 39.2% in 2005 to 52.4% in 2004 with an average of 46.9% over the six year period. Other parasitic infections encountered in the liver were cystic echinococcosis, Stilesia hepatica and other parasitic cysts. In 2007 and 2008, the total monetary loss from liver fluke infections was USD 12,034 and USD 13,413 respectively. Losses from heart condemnations appeared relatively low compared to those of the liver but Muscular cysticercosis in cattle leads often to whole carcass condemnation. These losses can make a difference in the Lake Victoria Basin communities where malnutrition is prevalent and income per capita is low.