Correlates of hepatocellular and gastric diseases in cows slaughtered in selected abattoirs in Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

Jude Ogechukwu Okoye, Chijindu Nneka Nzeaka, Gideon Taiwo Faloye

Background: Livestock farming, especially cattle rearing, remains a major source of income for local farmers. However, the health status of cattle and the standard of veteri-nary services determine the quality of animal meat and the risk of zoonotic transmission. Thus, this study determined the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori, parasitic infection, and gastric and hepatocellular diseases in cows slaughtered in two selected govern-ment-approved abattoirs.Methods: Following the systematic random selection of cows, liver and gastric tissues were taken from the slaughtered cows (n = 99, each), fixed in 10% neutral-buffered for-malin, processed and stained accordingly, and microscopically examined for the pres-ence of H. pylori, parasites, hepatocellular, and gastric diseases.Results: Approximately, 66% and 34% of the liver and gastric tissues had pathological changes, respectively. The pathologies observed in the liver were cirrhosis (12.1%), fibrosis (8.1%), hepatitis (28%), and necrosis (17%), whereas tumors (6.1%), dysplasia (10.1%), and gastritis (18%) were observed in gastric tissues. The prevalence of parasitic infections and H. pylori in the liver and gastric tissues were 4% and 26%, respectively. The prevalence of the bacteria was higher in pathologic gastric tissues (44.1%) than in normal gastric tissues (16%). There was a significant association between gastric dis-eases and H. pylori (p = 0.007). Only 20.2% of the investigated animals were without any obvious gastric and hepatocellular diseases.Conclusion: The study revealed that H. pylori infection is associated with gastric diseases in cows. It suggests that some cow meat from some abattoir may be unsafe for human consumption.