Abstract

Abattoirs play a critical role in ensuring meat safety and serve as an important point for monitoring zoonotic diseases. This study assessed the prevalence of bovine tuberculosis, bovine fascioliasis and bovine cysticercosis in cattle slaughtered at the Jos abattoir, Plateau State, Nigeria. A five-year (2020–2024) retrospective review of slaughter records covering 44,401 cattle was conducted. The highest annual slaughter occurred in 2022 (9,637) while the lowest was in 2020 (8,291). The overall prevalence rates were 0.28% for bovine tuberculosis, 12.4% for bovine cysticercosis and 13.4% for bovine fasciolosis. Seasonal trends showed peak cases of bovine tuberculosis in August (0.43%), October (0.42%) and November (0.40%); bovine cysticercosis, in March (15.26%), July (15.52%), and August (15.37%); and bovine fasciolosis in March (15.65%), August (14.82%) and September (14.80%). These findings highlight the need for enhanced abattoir-based surveillance to support zoonotic disease control and protect public health.

Key words: Bovine tuberculosis, Cysticercosis, Fasciolosis, Jos abattoir, Prevalence, Retrospective study, Slaughtered