T Sagi
T Sagi
T Sagi
of carcasses
Wanzala W. a* , Onyango-Abuje J.A.b, Kang’ethe E.K.c, K. Hd Zessin, N. Mc,d Kyule,
M.P.O d Baumann, Ochanda Ha, Harrison L.J.S.e
a Division of Parasitology and Immunology, Department of Zoology, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197,
Nairobi, Kenya
b National Veterinary Research Centre, Muguga, P.O. Box 32, Kikuyu, Kenya
c Department of Public Health, Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 29053, Nairobi, Kenya
d Department of International Animal Health, Freie University Berlin, FB Veterinärmedizin, Luisenstraße 56, D-
10117 Berlin, Germany.
e Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Roslin Midlothian, EH25 9RG,
Scotland, U.K.
ABSTRACT
Background: A study to curb transmission cycle of a zoonotic Taenia cestodiasis between humans and
cattle is presented.
Objective: To evaluate the reliability of meat inspection procedure in detecting carcasses of cattle with T.
saginata cysticercosis.
Methods: A total of 55 cattle divided into two groups of artificially (n =30) and naturally (n = 25) infested
animals were utilized. Total dissection method was used as a gold standard of validity.
Results: Meat inspection insensitively revealed cysticerci in 12 carcasses in each group compared with 24
and 23 carcasses revealed by total dissection in natural and artificial infestations, respectively. Sites of
oncosphere invasion showed great variations with the two groups of cattle. In the predilection sites, most
cysticerci were found in the heart, Triceps brachii, tongue and head muscles in that order. However, non-
predilection sites (neck and back, hind limbs, chest, pelvic and lumbar regions, lungs and liver) consider-
ably harboured high numbers of cysticerci. Observations indicated that except for the dead, degenerate
or calcified cysticerci a careless meat inspector will most likely miss out quite a number of viable cysticerci,
which blend the pinkish-red colour of the meat and be passed on for human consumption, becoming the
source of bovine cysticercosis.
Conclusions: The results confirmed that in spite of the time and efforts taken by meat inspectors looking
for cysticerci at specified predilection sites of carcasses, this method is insensitive and inaccurate. To
effectively improve meat inspection procedures, there is need to increase the area and number of predi-
lection sites observed during inspection and vary them according to the nature of the animals, their
husbandry history and the target human population for consumption. In addition, other control ap-
proaches such as vaccination, chemotherapy and immunodiagnosis should be developed and imple-
mented to complement meat inspection procedures.
Key words: meat inspection; post-mortem; zoonosis; bovine cysticercosis; taenia saginata
African Health Sciences 2003 3(2): 68 - 76
While ill-health caused by the adult worms meat in 25% salt solution for 5 days and buying only
in humans give rise to high medical costs5, the officially inspected meat10,2,11, have not been able to
economic losses accruing from the condemned and eliminate the parasite and even control it12. Other new
downgraded carcasses due to treatment of potential approaches such as vaccination, chemotherapy
carcasses before human consumption are and immunodiagnosis, have not been well developed for
substantial6,7. For instance, in Kenya, Botswana and use and investigation still continues13,14,15,16,17. A promising
Great Britain, such losses were estimated at, £1.0 Antigen-ELISA continues to be evaluated using diagnostic
million, £0.5 million8 and £1.2 million9 annually, test evaluation tables17,18. Meat inspection method is
respectively. For the African continent, an annual therefore still the most important public health measure
loss was reported to be US$ 1.8 billion4 under an practised in controlling the transmission cycle of the
overall infestation rate of 7%. In South America, parasite. The Kenya Meat Control Act19 regulations focus
where an overall infestation rate was estimated at on the incision and examination for the presence of C.
2.0%, bovine together with porcine cysticercosis bovis only in the so-called predilection sites (cheek muscles
caused an annual loss of US$ 428 million5. of the head, tongue, heart and Triceps brachii). However,
Various control measures in practice such predilection sites, may not be the only sites in the carcass
as carcasses irradiation, public hygiene and with the highest number of cysticerci as there could be
education, mass chemotherapy (using praziquantel great variations in terms of distribution of cysticerci
and/or albendazole and with praziquantel or between preferred sites20,21,22. Since meat inspection
niclosamide), cooking of meat at 57oC, deep method is still the method of choice deployed in the
freezing of meat at -10oC for 10 days, pickling control of human taeniasis at all the slaughterhouses, it
Table 1
The distribution of C. bovis in the various sites of carcasses naturally infested with T. saginata eggs as
revealed by total dissection at slaughter (n=25).
1
The percentages were based on the total number of cysticerci recovered in 25 cattle - 671(361)
2
The percentages were based on 25 animals selected from the field.
3
Figures in parentheses represent live cysticerci and cattle found with live cysticerci during total dissection at
slaughter, respectively. Live cysticerci present health hazard to man and are the causative mechanism of taeniasis
in man when ingested and later becomes the source of bovine cysticercosis.
Table 2: The distribution of C. bovis in the various sites of carcasses artificially infested with T.
saginata eggs as revealed by total dissection (n=30).
Table 3
Mean number of C. bovis recovered from different groups of calves artificially infested with
different doses of T. saginata eggs.
Table 4: Distribution and detection of C. bovis in the predilection sites during meat inspection as
specified in Kenya Meat Control Act – 1977.
a
= percentage of total cysts found in 25 carcasses per predilection site.
b
= percentage of total cysts found in 24 carcasses per predilection site.
*Evaluation was based on 24 infested calves only, not the 6 control calves
Figures in parentheses represent percentages of total cysticerci recovered (1664 cysts for calves and 671 cysts for
field steers) and animals infested by the predilection site examined during meat inspection, respectively.
A comparative analysis of meat inspection and consumption by meat inspection under the current Kenya
total dissection in detecting C. bovis in Meat Control Act-1977, thus, enhancing a continued
carcasses from economic loss and transmission cycle of the parasite between humans and
enhancement of transmission cycle point of cattle. By total dissection, 40% and 53.28% of the animals
views. from natural and artificial infections, respectively, would
Detection of C. bovis by the two methods (meat be totally condemned, a great loss to the farmer and
inspection and total dissection) was often in an butcher business. While meat inspection method never
inverse proportion (Table 5). From the results condemned any animal from natural infections but only
shown in Table 5, total dissection showed that a 6.66% from artificial infections, thus, allowing a lot of
lot of infested animals are passed on for human infested carcasses to enter the transmission cycle.
*One out of 6 control calves was found with one live cysticerci during total dissection and of the 24 calves
exposed to T. saginata eggs, only one calf was found negative by total dissection.
DISCUSSION
density of both live and dead cysticerci in the hind limbs,
In both naturally and artificially infested cattle, total fore limbs, liver, chest, heart, lumbar, pelvis, tongue, lungs,
dissection revealed cysticerci infestation in 24 out neck and back, head and diaphragm in that order (Table 1
of 25 cattle selected from the field and 23 out of and 2). From these results, all the parts of various carcasses
24 calves exposed to the eggs of T. saginata, giving were equally important as predilection sites for cysticerci
prevalence rates of 96 and 95.8%, respectively and could be equally used during routine meat inspection
(Table 1 and 2). While the corresponding at slaughterhouses except for rumen, fat layers, spleen and
prevalence rates by meat inspection were 48 and skin (the last three sites not included in the results but during
50%, respectively (Table 4). In these 47 infested total dissection, they never had any cysticerci). However,
carcasses, cysticerci were found distributed of the parts examined, hind limbs, ribs, lungs, neck and
between and within carcasses’ sites in varying back, liver, lumbar and pelvis, need to be considered by
numbers and surprisingly, even more in sites not the Act-1977 and larger areas of these predilection sites
specified in the Act-1977 as predilection sites be examined during routine meat inspection.
(Tables 1 and 2). This, together with other factors
The age-dependent immunity26 of an animal had
(light intensity at the inspection points, room
an important role to play in fighting against infestation
ventilation, nature of the knife in use, poor
and re-infestation of cysticerci29 . The re-stimulation of
bleeding of the carcasses, uncoordinated training
animals’ immunity following continuous invasion of
programmes of the officers, pressure of work,
oncospheres, would explain the development of a strong
corruption and poor human eyesight) previously
immunity which did not allow further development of
identified 24,25 completely undermine the sensitivity
more cysticerci from invading oncospheres but spared
of meat inspection. Crucial to this Act, is its
viable cysticerci from the initial infestation26,30,31,32. This
limitations such as, fewer predilection sites and only
phenomenon further helps to explain the occurrence of
a small area within a given predilection site being
both live and dead cysticerci and their corresponding
allowed to be incised and examined so as to avoid
variations in predilection sites examined (Table 1 and 2).
mutilation of the carcass.
In artificial infestations, the intensity of cysticerci was highest
The results of the total dissection were in in the visceral organs (liver - 22.00% and heart - 17.13%)
agreement with the previous studies 3,20,26,28, in followed by the limbs (hind limbs - 15.02%, fore limbs -
terms of distribution of cysticerci in various parts 13.35% and chest - 6.49%) (Table 2) This pattern reversed
of the carcasses and ranking of these parts, albeit in naturally infested cattle with the limbs (fore limbs -
great variations. The variations depend on a 24.74%, hind limbs - 23.85% and chest - 9.24%)
number of factors such as blood kinetics and harbouring the highest number of cysticerci followed by
animals’ daily activities3. Any geographical and visceral organs (liver - 12.22% and heart - 8.79%) (Table
environmental factors affecting blood kinetics in 1). The explanation for this differential location of cysticerci
the animal affect the distribution of oncospheres lies in the animals’ daily activities and blood kinetics28, which
as well and hence the predilection sites during meat determines the distribution of cysticerci within the animal.
inspection28. Total dissection results showed a high