Bovine Cysticercosis Prevalence and Public Health Significance in the Haramaya Municipal Abattoir, East Hararghe Zone, Oromia Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia

AimThis study was conducted by using the protocols of post-mortem examinations of meat (visual inspection) to determine theprevalence of bovine cysticercosis in the cattle slaughtered at Haramaya Municipal Abattoir, Eastern Hararghe, Ethiopia and todetermine zoonotic significance of taeniasis.MethodA cross-section study design was conducted from November 2020 to March 2021, based on routine meat inspection on simplerandomly selected cattle slaughtered at the abattoir. Visual inspection of all exposed surface was made in all active organs. Theyare shoulder muscles, hearts, masseters (cheek muscle), diaphragms, tongues and livers. This is followed by incision of all thoseorgans to be examined for Cysticercus bovis cysts.ResultsTwenty-one (21) of the 384 cattle examined utilizing the post-mortem examinations meat inspection methodology were positivefor C. bovis, resulting in a prevalence of 5.5 %. The masseter muscle (11.5 %) had the highest prevalence of cysts, followed by thetriceps (8.3%), heart (5.8%), liver (4.8 %), and tongue (2.9 %). The sex-based prevalence rates were 10 (3.4%) and 11 (12.1%), respectively. The predominance of bodily condition was found to be good (1.3%), medium (11.1%), and bad (50 %). The prevalencemale and female e differed substantially by organ, sex, and bodily condition (p>0.05), but not statistically significant by age of theanimals (young 2.8% vs. adult 6.1%) (p>0.05). Eight (20%) of the total 40 interviewees had contracted Taenia saginata infection atleast once in their lives. Religion showed a significant difference (p>0.05) (Christian 66.7% and Muslim 6.5%). However, there wasno statistically significant difference in meat consumption habits (raw 31.6% vs. cooked 9.5%), sex (male 26.5% vs. female 11.8%),age (young 33.3% vs. adult 17.7%), educational status (illiterate 22.2% vs. elementary 14.3% vs. high school 27.3% vs. college16.7%) or latrine use (proper users 19.4% and non-proper users 25%).ConclusionThis study to increasing public awareness of the disease, as well as strict routine meat inspections, should be prioritized in orderto decrease the parasite's impact.