Seasonal prevalence of bovine fasciolosis and its direct economic losses (del) due to liver condemnation at Makurdi abattoirs north central Nigeria

This study was conducted to report the prevalence of bovine fasciolosis and to estimate the direct economic losses (DEL) from condemnation of liver as a result of detection of lesions of fasciolosis in cattle slaughtered in Makurdi abattoirs. Retrospective data were collected from the abattoir records obtained from Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources (MANR) Makurdi, from 2008 to 2012. Direct economic losses were calculated based on a pilot study to determine the average price of liver per kilogram (AvP/kg) and using the formula: DEL = 𝑛w × AvP/kg, where 𝑛 is the number of livers condemned and 𝑊 is the average liver weight in kg. Between 2008 and 2012, 64,978 cattle were slaughtered at Makurdi abattoirs, out of which 9,478 cattle were infected with Fasciola species. This represents an overall prevalence of 14.56% (95%, C.I.: 12.99 – 16.85%). Annual prevalence of bovine fasciolosis was significantly (P