Prevalence of bovine cysticercosis in slaughtered cattle and knowledge attitudes and practices of cattle farmers in the Matabeleland region of Zimbabwe

Abstract

Bovine cysticercosis is a zoonotic foodborne disease of socio-economic importance. The prevalence of bovine cysticercosis in Zimbabwe is underestimated, as it is currently only detected by the less sensitive meat inspection method. The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalence of bovine cysticercosis in slaughtered cattle using traditional meat inspection and B158/B60 monoclonal antibody-based ELISA for the detection of circulating antigens of Taenia saginata, confirming T. saginata cysticerci collected during meat inspection using PCR and to establish communal cattle farmers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices on the risk factors of bovine cysticercosis in the Matabeleland Region of Zimbabwe. Serum was harvested from blood samples collected from 381 slaughtered cattle at three abattoirs in Matabeleland Region and subjected to Ag-ELISA for the detection of Taenia saginata antigens. Taenia saginata was characterized by cloning and sequencing of the 12s rDNA amplicons extracted from three cysticerci recovered on meat inspection. To determine farmers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices on the risk factors of bovine cysticercosis, a total of 377 participants were interviewed in the Bulilima district of Matabeleland South Province. Results showed that the prevalence of cysticercosis detected by Ag-ELISA (140/369; 37.94%) was significantly higher (p <0.05) than that detected by meat inspection (7/381; 1. 83%). Matabeleland South (92.13%) had the highest estimate of true prevalence amongst all the provinces in Matabeleland region. Seven out of 381(1.83%) cattle were positive for bovine cysticercosis on meat inspection, with the majority of the cysticerci identified being viable and mostly located on the masseter. All the metacestodes identified during meat inspection were confirmed as those of T. saginata by PCR with homology ranging between 99.75% and 99.87% T. saginata 12s rDNA sequence in the GenBank obtained from bovine cysticercosis cysts recovered from a slaughtered bovine in South Africa (MZ357054). Eighty-four percent (316/377) of the participants practised home slaughter and (263/377; 69.8%) performed meat inspection on their own which is deemed inadequate. About (366/377; 97%) of the participants lacked knowledge on bovine cysticercosis. Two-fifths of the participants had no access to toilets at home and (358/377; 95%) of the participants sometimes practised open defecation. Home slaughter, inadequate meat inspection, consumption of infected meat, lack of toilets and open defecation were identified risk factors for bovine cysticercosis in Matabeleland. Further studies are required to determine the prevalence of taeniasis cases in cattle farming communities at risk residing in Matabeleland region of Zimbabwe.