Assessment of bovine fasciolosis and the analytical test evaluation at Yirgalem municipal abattoir, Ethiopia

A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2021 to April 2022 to estimate the prevalence of bovine fasciolosis, assess the risk factors, and estimate the direct financial loss due to liver condemnation in cattle slaughtered at Yirgalem municipal abattoir. Furthermore, the comparison of the diagnostic efficiency of fecal and postmortem examination was evaluated. The study was based on both postmortem inspection of the liver for liver fluke infection and coprological examination using the sedimentation technique. Thus, a total of 400 cattle were sampled using systemic random sampling techniques and the prevalence was 27.0% (108/400) and 20.8% (83/400), by postmortem and coprological examination, respectively. The prevalence of F. hepatica, F. gigantica, mixed infections, and unidentified species were 56.5%, 19.4%, 16.7%, and 7.4%, respectively. The difference between age groups was statically significant (p<0.05). Coprological examination revealed the highest prevalence was recorded in the age group of > 7 years old (34%, adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=4.2) followed by 4-6 years old adults (26.8%, AOR=4.2) and in young cattle of <3 years old (6.7%). Prevalence by postmortem examination was 43.0% (AOR=4 0), 27.8% (AOR= 2.4), and 8.3%, for age groups > 7 years old, 4-6 years old adults and in young cattle of <3 years old, respectively. The body condition score result revealed a significant difference (p<0.05) as a greater magnitude of infections were detected in poor body condition animals (AOR=7.7) than in medium and good body condition (p<0.05). Considering the liver examination as a gold standard for diagnosis of fasciolosis, the sensitivity of the sedimentation technique was 76.8%, and the specificity of 100% with a very good agreement (kappa = 0.94) between the two methods. The total financial loss per annum due to the condemnation of infected liver was 945, 999 ETB (18,192.288 USD). Therefore, strategic control and prevention of the snail intermediate host should be implemented. Furthermore, upon diagnosis of fasciolosis, epidemiological information about the disease with suggestive clinical examination should be considered even in the absence of Fasciola eggs during coprological examinations and also other parasitological techniques such as the FLOTAC and FLUKE FINDER methods with high sensitivity and specificity should be employed.