Bovine cysticercosis epidemiology and the economic impact of the triceps brachii incision in a South African export abattoir

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dc.contributor.author Uys, Matthys
dc.contributor.author Fosgate, Geoffrey T.
dc.contributor.author Seguino, Alessandro
dc.date.accessioned 2024-10-02T05:56:02Z
dc.date.available 2024-10-02T05:56:02Z
dc.date.issued 2023-11
dc.description.abstract Taenia saginata is a zoonotic tapeworm of humans with bovines as its intermediate host (bovine cysticercosis). Traditional meat inspection is the main measure to identify the larval stage in carcasses and prevent human infection, but has a notoriously low sensitivity, especially in low prevalence settings. The legislation in multiple African countries mandates an incision in both triceps brachii muscles to detect the parasite as part of the normal post-mortem inspection, but this has an economic cost and is not universally mandated in other countries. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of bovine cysticercosis at an export abattoir in South Africa and determine the validity and cost of the triceps incision. Risk factors were investigated, and the effect of additional heart incisions on the current inspection. Four incisions were made into the heart in addition to the normal post-mortem inspection in 3353 carcasses. The proportion of positive animals with and without the cardiac and triceps incisions were compared using McNemar’s chi-square tests, while risk factors were assessed using binary logistic regression. The economic impact of the triceps incision was estimated using a stochastic economic cost model. Thirty-three positive carcasses were identified for an apparent prevalence of 0.98 % (95 % CI, 0.69–1.36 %), while the true prevalence was estimated at 6.6 % (95 %CI, 4.3–8.8 %). All cysts were confirmed as T. saginata on histopathology with 70 % (95 %CI, 53–83 %) located in the heart. The additional cardiac incisions resulted in the detection of significantly more cases compared to the normal inspection method prevalence of 0.72 % (95 %CI, 0.47–1.05 %; P < 0.001). The apparent prevalence of T. saginata when omitting the triceps incision was not significantly lower compared to the prevalence when included in the inspection (P = 0.480). External feedlots (OR= 4.17, 95 %CI: 2.04–8.54, P < 0.001) and older animals (OR=3.90, 95 %CI: 1.17–13.03, P = 0.027) were associated with a positive detection. The current median annual financial cost to the food business operator from the triceps incision was estimated at $30387 (95 %CI: $0-$130696), with the proportion of deboned meat exported identified as the most important factor affecting cost (Spearman’s rho=0.853). The identification of risk factors could aid in the development of a more effective risk-based inspection system. The current inspection should be modified to increase exposure of the heart and remove the triceps incisions. The latter should especially be considered given the minimal contribution to cysticercosis detection, the unsupported requirement for its inclusion specifically in Africa, and its economic impact, especially as beef exports increase. en_US
dc.description.department Production Animal Studies en_US
dc.description.librarian am2024 en_US
dc.description.sdg SDG-02:Zero Hunger en_US
dc.description.uri https://www.elsevier.com/locate/prevetmed en_US
dc.identifier.citation Uys, M., Fosgate, G.T., Seguino, A. 2023, 'Bovine cysticercosis epidemiology and the economic impact of the triceps brachii incision in a South African export abattoir', Preventive Veterinary Medicine, vol. 220, art. 106050, pp. 1-7. https://DOI.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2023.106050. en_US
dc.identifier.issn 0167-5877 (print)
dc.identifier.issn 1873-1716 (online)
dc.identifier.other 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2023.106050
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/2263/98426
dc.language.iso en en_US
dc.publisher Elsevier en_US
dc.rights © 2023 The Authors. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license. en_US
dc.subject Taenia saginata en_US
dc.subject Cysticercus bovis en_US
dc.subject Meat inspection en_US
dc.subject Risk factors en_US
dc.subject Economics en_US
dc.subject SDG-02: Zero hunger en_US
dc.title Bovine cysticercosis epidemiology and the economic impact of the triceps brachii incision in a South African export abattoir en_US
dc.type Article en_US


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