Taenia saginata cysticercosis in cattle in Tanzania
| dc.contributor.author | Maeda Godfrey Elikalia | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-05-28T06:57:53Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-05-28T06:57:53Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 1993 | |
| dc.description | Dissertation | |
| dc.description.abstract | A review on the epidemiology and diagnosis of human taeniasis and bovine cysticercosis with special reference to East Africa is given. All humans are susceptible to the adult tapeworm, T. saginata. Cattle, is the predominant intermediate host, young animals being more susceptible than older ones. Susceptibility of a few wild ruminants makes them potential reservoirs of infection. Characteristics of T. saginata, including a long life span, a high reproductive potential, spontaneous shedding of proglottids from human carriers, occult nature of the cysticerci in cattle, etc, contribute to maintenance of infections. Dispersion and survival of T. saginata eggs are determined by sanitation, personal hygiene, coprophagous animals and weather conditions. Prevalence rates of cysticercosis in cattle reported from various countries depend on local meat hygiene legislations, efficiency of meat inspection, and record keeping in the abattoirs. In this thesis, factors promoting the spread of T. saginata infections in Tanzania were investigated, by interview information from 105 cattle owners, belonging to Masai, Arusha, Iraqw, Gogo and Rangi ethnic groups, from 52 villages in Tanzania. Taeniasis and cysticercosis were reported as common problems among members of the ethnic groups interviewed. Lack of awareness of the source of human tapeworms, scarcity of medicines against taeniasis, habits of consuming raw beef, consumption of uninspected meat, defaecation in the bush, were some of the outstanding factors elucidated. The details of this investigation are discussed and it is concluded that some of the observations need confirmation through further studies in the villages of the ethnic groups concerned. Prevalence rates of taeniasis recorded at Mbulu Hospital were 10% in 1990 and 21% in 1991. In a separate investigation, cysticercosis was detected in 52 (10.5%) out of 496 cattle X xi slaughtered in municipal abattoirs of Arusha, Dodoma, Iringa, Morogoro and Mpwapwa districts in Tanzania during the period between June 1991 and November 1991. The prevalence rates in the individual abattoirs were 16.7% (Arusha), 8% (Dodoma), 9.6% (Iringa), 6.5% (Morogoro) and 7.6% (Mpwapwa). The overall annual prevalence rates of cysticercosis in the Dodoma and Iringa regions were lower than the rates officially recorded in these abattoirs. The results are discussed in relation to sources of infection, endemicity of cysticercosis, efficiency of meat inspection, and records keeping in the abattoirs in the country. In a detailed examination, anatomical distribution of cysticerci of T. saginara (864) was analyzed in zebu cattle at Morogoro abattoir in Tanzania. The cysticerci were found located in the examined tissues preferentially in the following order: heart, M. triceps brachii, tongue, M. psoas and masseter muscles. The liver had relatively high numbers of cysts and is thus considered an important predilection site. Examination of the predilection sites for detecting carcasses positively infected with cysticerci of T. saginara revealed the following efficiency: 80% (heart), 80% (M. triceps brachii), 60% (masseter muscles), 60% (tongue) and 53% (liver). However examination of the heart, M. triceps brachii and the liver together detected all infected carcasses. Most (60%) of the infected carcasses had viable cysticerci. In conclusion, T. saginara taeniasis and cysticercosis are major, but underestimated problems in Tanzania. The diagnostic methods of cysticercosis in cattle and taeniasis in humans all have inherent limitations. But nevertheless, their sensitivity may be significantly be improved and the usual control may be more efficient. The various chapters of the thesis include discussions on ways to improve public control measures and educate consumers and herdsmen. | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | DANIDA | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/6162 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Sokoine University of Agriculture | |
| dc.subject | Taenia Saginata | |
| dc.subject | Cysticercosis | |
| dc.subject | Cattle | |
| dc.subject | Tanzania | |
| dc.title | Taenia saginata cysticercosis in cattle in Tanzania | |
| dc.type | Thesis |