Length-weight relationship of fishes from Anambra ... - Zoo-unn.org

NGWU, Godwin Ikechukwu et al.between the prevalence of the helminthparasites and these disease conditions. Theoccurrence of Fasciola gigantica and Cysticercusbovis in Nsukka Urban abattoir is not unusual.Ikeme and Obioha (1973) had detected 39%prevalence rate of Fasciola gigantica while Onahand Chiejina (1986) detected 2.36% prevalencerate of Cysticercus bovis in the same abattoir.Thus this study confirms the persistence of theinfection in cattle slaughtered in this market.The prevalence rate of Fasciola gigantica(10.00%) in this study is relatively low whencompared with the work of Ikeme and Obioha(1973) in the same abattoir where theprevalence rate was recorded as 39%. Alsowhen the prevalence rates found in this studyare compared with the prevalence rates in otherparts of the world, it is still found to be lower.Although the statistics from the report of Lofti etal (1995) for 1987 – 1991 showed a lowerprevalence rate of between 4.2 – 6.5% in Assiutabattoir (Egypt). However, other studies citedby Ukoli (1984) show the prevalence rates tovary. For example Gretillat (1961) in Senegalfound 30 – 50% while Graber and Outamie(1964) in Niger found 36% and Schillhorn VanVeen et al; (1980) in Soba (Zaria rural abattoir)found the rate to be up to 65.4%. This thenmeans that most areas of Africa haveprevalence rates much higher than 10.00%.One of the reasons for the low prevalence canbe due to the fact that healthier animals nowreach the southern market where this study wasconducted. The prevalence rate of Cysticercusbovis infection is also relatively low. Onah andChiejina (1986) had earlier reported a higherprevalence rate of 2.36% in Nsukka, AnambraState, Nigeria. Also Okafor (1988) reported amuch higher prevalence rate of 26.14% in ImoState Nigeria. The prevalence rates of 19.23%and 17.4% in Bauchi and Borno States ofNigeria reported by Belino (1975) are alsohigher than the report from this work. Stillreports of high prevalence in other parts of theworld exist e.g. Aleksic and Miloradovic (1994)reported 2.14% prevalence rate in Poland andKamparage et al (1995) reported 16%prevalence rate in Tanzania. The reason for thisdrop is not very clear. A drop in exposure due tobetter management of cattle may not be ruledout. The level of prevalence rate of F. gigantica andC. bovis infections in this study can be attributed tothe age of animals slaughtered. Andrews et al (1992)reported that although any age of animal maybe susceptible, calves and yearlings are mostcommonly affected. Quoting Gallie and Sewell(1983), Onah and Chiejina (1986) showed thatwith increasing age calves develop stronger andmore lasting immunity to T. saginatametacestode. Therefore, since most of the cattleexamined (91.33%) were mature cattle, it maybe that this phenomenon is at play. Thepresence of viable cysts in some of the olderanimals as reported by Onah and Chiejina(1986) might be as a result of recent infection inanimals or persistence from early calf hoodinfections unaffected by subsequent hostimmune responses or deviations from theprocess. The period of this study is anotherfactor that could have influenced the prevalencerate. Egbe-Nwiyi and Chaudrai (1996) reportedhigher prevalence rate (41.3%) of Fasciolagigantica during the rainy season and lowerprevalence rate (32.7%) during the post-rainyseason periods. Okafor (1988) reported thatmore cysts of C. bovis were isolated during themid dry season months (December to February)although he attributed this, in the case of ruralareas, to a drop in the number of animalsslaughtered at these periods of the year. Thiswork which was carried out during the postrainyseason period (November to December)could have been influenced by the season ofstudy. Mode of transportation of theslaughtered cattle from the northern to thesouthern part of the country could have as wellinfluenced the result. Before 1984, the animalswere made to trek to the south from the north.That would mean greater exposure to moregrazing grounds and therefore, greaterprobability of grazing on infected pastures. Butwith modernized means of transportation inwhich trailers are used, the cattle are restrictedto the rearers choice pasture coupled with theirawareness of the economic consequences ofleading the cattle to infected grazing grounds.Finally, the number of veterinarydoctors has increased due to increased interestin education which implies that there are nowlower ratios of veterinary doctors to the cattlethus giving them better attention medically. Thismeans constant diagnosing and treatment ofcases probably accounting for the lowerprevalence rates. There was disease conditionsalso observed during this study which led topartial or total condemnation of carcasses. Theprevalence rates of the disease conditionsshowed that tuberculosis has 2.67% prevalencerate, pneumonia, 1.33%, telangiactasis, 2%,splenomegaly, 1.33%, and jaundice 1.33%.Kamparage et al (1995) in a retrospective study(1987-1989) observed that these diseaseconditions were responsible for thecondemnation of whole carcasses and organs inTanzania. Their work showed higher prevalencerate of some of these disease conditions in thearea they studied. The equal prevalence rates10