DISTRIBUTION OF FASCIOLA GIGANTICA IN CATTLE SLAUGHTERED IN MAN ABATTOIR, WESTERN OF CÔTE D'IVOIRE

A study was carried out in 2023 to examine for infection with Fasciola spp. during the routine inspection of the meat of 630 cattle that were slaughtered at the abattoir in Man.This study aimed to provide the first data on Fasciola gigantica in cattle from the Man abattoir. Out of the 630 cattle examined, 171 (27.1%) were males and 459 (72.9) were females. The results showed that out of 630 cattle examined at post mortem, 19.4% (122) were positive for fasciolosis. F. gigantica prevalence was 18.9% and 20.5% in females and males, respectively. Young cattle (2-4 years) were more contaminated (22.1%). There was no statistically significant association between infection and age and between infection and sex of the cattle sampled (𝑃 > 0.05). Animals slaughtered during rainy season were most infected (25.8%, n=85) than those slaughtered in dry season (12.3%, n=37). From all infected animals (n=122), 42.62% (n=52) were classified as lightly infected (≤20 flukes), 31.14% (n =38) as moderately infected with 20-50 flukes and 26.23% (n=32) as heavily infected with more than 50 flukes per animal. The present study showed that F. gigantica existed among the infected ruminants in Man abattoir. Animals slaughtered during the rainy season must need to be specially inspected, as contamination is higher during this period.