Abstract

Gebretsadik Kinfe, Bemrew Admassu, Gashaw Getaneh*, Kassahun Berie, Mebrae Zemene, Belete Haile

ABSTRACT

Animal diseases are one of the most important constraints to increase productivity of food animals in all parts of the world. Parasitism is one of the major problems that affect the productivity of livestock worldwide. Bovine cysticercosis is a parasitic disease that affects the musculature of cattle and is caused by the metacestode stage of human intestinal cestode, Taenia saginata. The custom of eating undercooked or raw beef dishes such as: kourt, lebleb, kitffo and the habit of defecating in open fields coupled with the tradition of allowing cattle to grazing fields made cysticercosis of cattle and taeniasis of human common in developing countries like Ethiopia. Drugs which have shown efficacy against bovine cysticercosis including, Niclosamide, Praziquntel, Mebendazole and Albedazole. However, at present, it is not feasible to treat animals due to high cost and the possible public health significance of dead calcified cyst in the meat. Strict attention of personal hygiene, environmental sanitation and protection of cattle from contact with human excretion that protection of cattle from grazing on feces or sewage polluted grass, not using untreated human feces as fertilizer for pasture land which may contain segments and ova are some of the preventive measures of the disease.