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

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 7 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.

SARCOCYSTIS INFECTION IN CATTLE AND PIGS AND ITS PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS IN ZARIA, NIGERIA

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