Abstract:
This study was carried out to establish the prevalence of porcine cysticercosis (caused by
Taenia solium), hydatidosis and ascariosis in slaughter pigs, and assess the state and
distribution of pig slaughter slabs in Dar es Salaam city, Tanzania, between November
2007 and January 2008. All 24 official slaughter slabs located in the three municipalities
of Dar es Salaam city (Kinondoni, Ilala, Temeke), were included in the study. A
geographical positioning system (GPS) was used to map the location of the slaughter slabs
and a checklist was used to assess the state of the slaughter slabs. All the 731 pigs
slaughtered in the study area during the study were examined for cysticercosis,
hydatidosis, and ascariosis based on national meat inspection guidelines. Data were
analysed using SPSS 11.5 and the distribution of pig slaughter slabs was mapped using
ArcView 3.2. The pigs slaughtered originated from nine different regions of Tanzania.
Out of the 731 pigs examined, (5.9%), (0.4%), and (8.1%) were infected with
cysticercosis, hydatidosis, and ascariosis, respectively. There was an important regional
variation in the prevalence of porcine cysticercosis, with the highest prevalence in pigs
that originating from Manyara and Dodoma regions. The pig slaughter slabs were
clustered in certain areas of Dar es Salaam city and most were in poor conditions. The
government of Tanzania should devise strategies to control the pig and pork trades, which
should include establishment of an appropriate number of well managed pig slaughter
houses to enable proper meat inspection in order to safeguard public health.
