Echinococcus ortleppi and Echinococcus canadensis G6/7 affect domestic animals in western Zambia.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is endemic in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. In contrast to the eastern part of the continent, very little data exists on the current disease situation in southern Africa including Zambia. This study determined frequency and species identity of Echinococcus spp. circulating in livestock and dogs in the Western Province of Zambia. Cysts were collected in slaughterhouses at meat inspection (cattle) and during examination of home slaughtered pigs, while dog faecal samples were collected per-rectum and examined microscopically for the presence of taeniid eggs. Individual taeniid eggs from faecal samples and individual protoscoleces from cysts were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and/or sequencing of the NADH-dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1) and cytochrome C oxidase 1 (cox1) gene. Fifty-four of 2000 cattle (2.7%) were found infected with a total of 65 cysts, predominantly fertile lungs cysts; all cysts were identified as Echinococcus ortleppi. Two out of 52 home-slaughtered pigs (3.8%) were infected with a fertile lung cyst each; both cysts were also identified as E. ortleppi. Microscopic examination revealed 10/289 dog faecal samples to contain taeniid eggs, of which four samples (two each) contained Echinococcus canadensis (G6/7) or Taenia hydatigena, respectively. This is the first insight in the Echinococcus species circulating in Zambia providing premises for further studies into transmission dynamics of CE in the southern African region.

A Cross-Sectional Study Investigating Cystic Hydatidosis in Slaughtered Cattle of Western Province in Zambia.

A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2007 to November 2008 to estimate the prevalence of hydatidosis in slaughtered cattle from two abattoirs in Mongu, Western Province, Zambia, using prospective and retrospective data. Out of the 4061 cattle examined during postmortem inspection, 84 (2.1%) were positive for hydatidosis. No cases were detected from Kaoma and Shangombo districts; however, prevalence ranged from 0.6% to 2.5% in districts where it was present. Sex was found to be positively associated with hydatidosis (P = 0.035) with female cattle being more likely to have hydatidosis (OR = 1.62). In the retrospective study (1994 to 2007), annual prevalence of hydatidosis ranged from 1.56% (n = 12,641) in 2006 to 4.7% (n = 2633) in 2001 with an overall prevalence of 3% (4689/158,456). This value is comparable to that observed in cattle slaughtered between October 2007 and November 2008 (2.1%). Hydatidosis was observed in the lungs (51.2%), liver (47.6%), and kidneys (1.2%). The percentage of viable cysts was 43.7%. This study confirms the presence of hydatidosis in cattle in Western Province of Zambia and estimates economic losses due to organ condemnations. Data presented herein provides a useful baseline for developing policy and intervention measures.