Prevalence and associated risk factors of bovine fasciolosis in cattle in Oyo state, Nigeria
Bovine fascioliosis in Oyo State
Keywords:
Bovine, Fascioliosis, prevalence, risk factors, sedimentation, Oyo StateAbstract
A major zoonotic endoparasitic disease that costs the livestock industry a huge amount of money as losses is bovine fasciolosis, especially in Nigeria. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the frequency and risk factors of bovine fascioliosis in Oyo state, Nigeria. This cross-sectional study sampled 383 cattle in all with their faeces collected between January and June of 2023.
The faeces samples were examined under a microscope to check for the presence of eggs from Fasciola spp. using the method of sedimentation. The association between the prevalence of Fasciola spp. eggs and risk factors were determined using Pearson’s chi-square (χ2). The overall prevalence of bovine fasciolosis was 27.15%. The highest prevalence (32.89%) was observed in Ibarapa, while the lowest prevalence (19.74%) was observed in Ogbomoso. The prevalence among breeds revealed the highest of 75.00% among the Kuri breed and the lowest prevalence of 22.03% among the Sokoto Gudali breed. The prevalence was highest in bulls (27.91%) compared to cows (27.06%). The highest prevalence of 30.00% was observed in calves (< 2 years), and the lowest prevalence of 26.87% was discovered in adults (5-7 years). The highest prevalence (29.49%) and (38.04%) were observed in animals categorized as animals with poor body and faecal condition scores, respectively. There were significant (P<0.05) associations between fasciolosis prevalence among breeds and ages in different zones of Oyo State (χ2 = 68.558a, P = 0.00) and (χ2 = 26.727a, P = 0.008), respectively.
These findings confirmed the presence of bovine fasciolosis in Oyo State, Nigeria, with the breed and age of cattle being the most significant risk factors for fasciolosis. More efforts should be directed at preventing or curtailing it, especially in Ibarapa area, in bulls, Kuri breeds, and animals with poor body conditions. Thus, awareness and training about its control, prevention, and monitoring strategies are required to minimize the effects of the disease.