Comparative methods for the detection of Fasciola gigantica in cattle in a slaughterhouse of West Cameroon

Abstract

A survey was conducted on 330 cattle at Bangangté’s slaughterhouse (West Region, Cameroon) to estimate the prevalence of bovine fasciolosis. Three screening methods were compared: i) postmortem veterinary inspection, followed by dissection of the main bile ducts to detect adults of Fasciola gigantica; ii) coproscopy with the sedimentation technique; and iii) the search for eggs in the bile. The latter method, considered as the gold standard, identified 110 infected cattle (33% prevalence). Adult flukes were found in the liver of 24 of them (7% prevalence). The coproscopy was positive in 20 animals (6% prevalence). All the cattle that were found positive by the coproscopy or liver examination had F. gigantica eggs in their bile samples. In contrast, of the 306 cattle in which no adult fluke was found in their livers, 10 had F. gigantica eggs in their feces and 86 eliminated eggs in the bile. Compared to the gold standard, the sensitivity of coproscopy and the search for adult flukes in livers were 18% (20 coproscopies vs 110 animals with eggs in bile) and 22% (24 positive livers vs 110), respectively. These results show that bovine fasciolosis is common in animals slaughtered in Bangangté, but that liver examination or coproscopy cannot identify all infected animals.