Gastro-Intestinal Heminthes among Slaughtered Cattle at Jos Abattoir Plateau State

Cattle are a major source of animal protein, hides and skin but the constraint is infection due to gastro-intestinal helminthes. A survey was carried out to determine the prevalence of helminthes, parasites affecting cattle slaughtered at abattoir in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. The standard saturated salt (NaCl) floatation technique was used, and examined microscopically to determine the parasites and the number of egg per gram. Of the 500 samples examined, 281(56.2%) were infected with one or more of the following species and their prevalences were Paramphistomum species 128 (25.6%), Oesophagustomnm radiatum 66 (13.6%), Fasciola species 36 (7.2%), Trichuris species 29(5.8%), Moniezia species 27(5.4%), Bunostomum phlebotomum 24(4.6%), Oocyst of Coccidia 23(4.6%). Mixed infection were common with 82(16.4%) samples infected with two different parasite, 98(19.6%) with one parasite, 53 (10.6%) with three parasites while 48 (9.6%) had more than three parasites. A total of 183 (65.13%) animals had mixed infections as against 98 (34.87%) with single infection. Male cattle had a higher prevalence of 153 (72.2%) as against 128 (44.4%) of the females examined. The young cattle of below 2 years old had a higher prevalence with 107 (57.2%) as against the 174 (55.6%) of the old examined. The result showed that there was a significant difference in the infection rate between males and females but there was non between the young and old examined. Also there was significant difference between those with mixed infection and those with a single infection. The prevalence of intestinal parasites is high, therefore farmer awareness, national campaigns, annual control campaigns and modern methods of rearing and caring for animals is advocated and should be encouraged through the Ministry of Agriculture.Keywords: Cattle, gastro-intestinal, heminthes, AbattoirNigerian Journal of Parasitology, Vol. 33 [2] September 2012, pp. 141-14