Distribution of Taenia saginata cysts in carcases and implications for meat inspection

Abstract

Distribution of Taenia saginata cysts in carcasses and the implications for meat inspection, Online J Vet Res 9 (1):66-73, 2005. The distribution of T.saginata cysts in carcasses of naturally (n = 25) and artificially (n = 30) infested animals was studied using total dissection as a gold standard method. In each group, both live and dead cysts were widely distributed in predilection and non-predilection sites with some carcasses without any cysts. In artificial infestations, 1663 cysticerci were recovered, of which 864 (51.95%) were alive and 799 (48.05%) were dead, while in natural infestations, 671 cysticerci were recovered, of which 361(53.80%) were alive and 310 (46.20%) were dead. Meat inspection revealed 12 carcasses with cysts in each group, with cysts in heart (2.98%), tongue (1.79%), Triceps brachii (1.04%) and none in masseter and pterygoid in natural infestations. Artificial infestations had cysts in the heart (5.29%), Triceps brachii (1.80%), masseter and pterygoid (0.66%) and tongue (0.54%) during meat inspection. During total dissection, cysts ranked from liver (22.00%), heart (17.13%), hind limbs (15.02%), fore limbs (13.35%), chest (6.49%), neck and back (6.01%), pelvis (4.39%), lumbar (4.09%), lungs (3.91%), tongue (2.52%), head (2.40%), diaphragm (2.10%), rumen (0.54%) to kidneys (0.00%) in carcasses of artificially infested animals. In carcasses of naturally infested animals, the order was from fore limbs (24.74%), hind limbs (23.85%), liver (12.22%), chest (9.24%), heart (8.79%), lumbar (6.56%), pelvis (3.58%), tongue (3.28%), lungs (2.98%), neck and back (2.38%), head (1.49%), diaphragm (0.75%), kidneys (0.15%) to rumen (0.00%). The PRIVATE distribution of cysts in carcasses and the implications for meat inspection under the present Kenya Meat Control Act-1977 are discussed.