Sanitary Practices and Occurrence of Zoonotic Conditions in Cattle at Slaughter in Morogoro Municipality; Tanzania: Implications for Public Health

Abstract:As meat consumption is increasing worldwide to cover for protein demands; also raise concerns and challenges regarding meat hygiene and safety. The current one year follow up study aimed at investigating on sanitary practices and occurrence of zoonotic conditions; during postmortem examination; in cattle at slaughter in Morogoro Municipality abattoir. Sanitary practices were assessed through direct observation where as routine post-mortem inspection procedures were employed to detect zoonotic conditions in cattle at slaughter. During the study period a total of 30;713 cattle were slaughtered and inspected at the abattoir. Results revealed poor hygienic practices at the level of abattoir surrounding; the slaughter operation area; personnel as well as meat vans. Whole carcasses; lungs; livers; hearts and heads were condemned due to zoonotic conditions at rates of 0.026; 1.96; 1.61; 0.02 and 0.21 respectively. Bovine tuberculosis; Cysticercus bovis check for this species in other resources cysts; fasciolosis and hydatidosis were the responsible zoonotic conditions for the condemnations. Bovine tuberculosis was a leading zoonotic cause of condemnations accounting for 95.7 of lungs and 100 of all head and carcass condemnations. Cysticercus bovis cysts were ranking the second in serving as causes of condemnations closely followed by fasciolosis and lastly hydatidosis. Occurrence of disease conditions with zoonotic implication in cattle at slaughter; meant for human consumption; may pose significant economic and public health risks to especially disaster-prone marginalized communities. Thus; there is a need to introduce appropriate control measures of livestock diseases to minimize the rate of infection; and eventually reduce economic losses and safeguard public health

Epidemiolgy of bacterial zoonoses in Nigeria

This paper dicusses the epidemiology and epizootiology of bacterial zoonotic diseases in Nigeria. Six diseases are discussed including anthrax; brucellosis; bovine tuberculosis; campylobacteriosis leptospirosis; salmonellosis and tetanus. All axcept anthrax are enzootic and endemic in the country; and have been associated with high morbidity in human and the animal populations. The exact impact of the diseases on the general population in unknown because they are grossly underreported and underrecognized

Newer Directions of Plant Drug Research : the Need to Examine and Investigate Traditional Remedies for Pharmacotherapy of Animal and Zoonotic Diseases

Traditional remedies for animal diseases have not been investigated as much as those for human diseases. Yet; there is a wealth of knowledge available to be tapped from the remedies used in the treatment of animal and zoonotic diseases. The indigenous knowledge available could be rationalized in the modern pharmaceutical context and applied directly to field use where appropriate. Furthermore; it is well known that many drugs have been developed initially through their use in animals because the ethical issues are easier to handle. It is worth examining some the indigenous medicinal plants that are used for both human and animal disease treatment; and determine the practical and cost-effective ways of exploiting the values of these plants