Prevalence and economic losses of cystic echinococcosis in the gambia

Cystic Echinococcosis (CE) is distributed globally, is super endemic in East and North Africa and causes great financial losses to the livestock industry in these regions. In West Africa, the disease is suspected to be prevalent but only a few epidemiological studies have been conducted so far. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of the disease and estimate the prevalence of CE in slaughtered livestock in The Gambia. In five abattoirs across the country, from July to December 2017, a total of 1968 slaughtered cattle, sheep and goats were inspected for the presence of CE using antemortem and post-mortem examinations. Of the examined animals, no hydatid cysts were identified (0.0%) and 16/1400 (1.1%) calcified cysts were collected from sheep and goats. The distribution of the animals examined were 56.1% goats, 28.9% cattle and 15.0% sheep. The average age of the animals slaughtered was 4-6 years old. From this result of this study, it can be concluded that CE is not a problem in Gambian abattoirs and no financial losses are incurred as a result of organ condemnation. However, for a better understanding of the CE status in The Gambia, improved diagnostic molecular techniques should be carried out using samples from both the definitive and intermediate hosts to rule out the existence of the parasite in this country. Keywords: Cystic Echinococcosis, Prevalence, Financial Loss, Gambia, Abattoir