Prevalence of Cysticercus bovis and Sarcocystis spp. infection in slaughtered animals in Khorramabad abattoir from 2012 to 2021
Subject Areas : Food Hygiene
Azadeh Rashidimehr
1
,
Hassan Nayebzadeh
2
,
Zahra Amini Farsani
3
,
Majid Hatami Nia
4
1 - Department of Microbiology and Food Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran
2 - Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran
3 - Bayesian Imaging and Spatial Statistics Group, Institute for Statistics, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Germany
4 - Lorestan Veterinary Organization Office, Khorramabad, Iran
Keywords: Sarcocystis spp., Cysticercus bovis, Animal slaughterhouse, Khorramabad,
Abstract :
Effective disease management and control depend on robust surveillance systems. Given the importance of slaughterhouses for public health, this retrospective study investigated the prevalence of Cysticercus bovis and macroscopic cysts of Sarcocystis in slaughtered livestock (cattle, sheep, and goats) in Khorramabad. A total of 150,694 cattle, 742,493 sheep, and 174,531 goats slaughtered between 2012 and 2021 were analyzed. Data were systematically processed using SPSS software to assess the frequency of infection in different livestock species over seasonal and annual intervals. The results showed that the average frequency of Sarcocystis infection in sheep peaked in 2013 at 11.75%, but was absent in 2018. While the prevalence of Sarcocystis infection in goats and cattle has declined over the past decade, it remained notable in sheep (0.5%). The highest recorded incidence of C. bovis infection occurred in 2014, reaching 0.75%, with a significant decline in subsequent years. Seasonal patterns were observed, with C. bovis being more prevalent in the summer and Sarcocystis in the autumn. Despite the overall decrease in the incidence of these parasitic diseases in recent years, regions with higher parasite loads still pose a risk for transmission to other areas, potentially leading to future outbreaks. Therefore, implementing effective disease management strategies—tailored to seasonal patterns and the behavior of intermediate hosts, along with pasture management and targeted treatment—is essential for controlling these zoonotic infections.
