Infestation of small ruminants by the metacestode stage of Taenia hydatigena in slaughterhouse, North East Tunisia

Abstract

Background Cysticercus tenuicollis (larvae of Taenia hydatigena) is a frequent cosmopolitan endoparasite of ruminants. The infestation by this parasite is underestimated since it is neither zoonotic nor inducing high economic losses in the sheep sector. Methods This study aimed at estimating different parasitological indicators, Cysticercus tenuicollis infestation in small ruminants using a slaughterhouse‐based survey in Northeast Tunisia. A total number of 3,692 sheep and 78 goats were examined in the slaughterhouse of Menzel Temime. Results The overall prevalence was estimated to be 2.8 (106/3692) and 8.9% (7/78) in sheep and goats, respectively. The abundance in these two species was 0.24 and 0.05 and the intensity 1.97 and 2.85, respectively. In goats, all the cysts were found in the mesentery, whilst, in sheep, the majority were in mesentery (96%) but also on the liver in 2% of the cases and in both organs (2%). There were only cysts with aqueous liquid with predominantly middle‐sized cysts (1 to 3 cm) corresponding to 63.15 and 70.34% in sheep and goats, respectively. Conclusion Since, in small ruminants, the infestation by C. tenuicollis indicators are not high, low cost control measures should be implemented to eliminate this parasite in Northeast Tunisia.

Prevalence of cystic echinococcosis among livestock in pastoral and agro-pastoral areas in Uganda

“…More high prevalence rates have been observed among goats (53%) and sheep (79%) in eastern Ethiopia (Sissay et al , 2008). Much lower prevalence had been observed in north India of 4.8% in goats and 2.2% in sheep (Singh et al ., 2015), northeast Tunisia of 8.9% in goats and 2.2% in sheep (Khaled et al ., 2020) and northwest Iran of 8.9% in goats and 2.8% in sheep (Mirzaei and Rezaei, 2015). Cysticercus tenuicollis though not zoonotic does not cause serious health effects in goats and sheep but have been found to lower their productivity (Soares et al ., 2012; de Morais et al, 2017; Abbas et al ., 2021).…”

Laparoscopic Retrieval of Abdominal Cysts in Sheep and Goat

“…In small ruminants, the Cysticercus tenuicollis is an important disease that causes great economic loss due to organ condemnation. Omentum and mesentery are the predominant predilection sites (25,26).…”