Taenia saginata cysticercosis in slaughter cattle in Anambra State, Nigeria.

The prevalence and distribution of Taenia saginata cysticercosis in Anambra State, Nigeria, was determined from analysis of official slaughterhouse records for 1973 to 1979 and from a special survey conducted at a typical slaughter slab in the State during September to December 1980. Of the 374,541 officially inspected cattle, 1,538 (0.41 percent) were positive for cysticerci. The special survey suggested that this apparently low infection rate underestimates the true extent of infection in slaughter cattle in the State. There was a highly significant negative correlation (r = -0.9921; p less than 0.001) between age and infection rate in 2 to 5 year old cattle and no cysticerci were found in older animals. This was partly responsible for the rather low prevalence rates in the predominantly very old animals slaughtered in the State and suggests that the age at which cattle are slaughtered may influence the numbers of viable cysts and of infected animals which can be detected at routine meat inspection.