Serological assay for <i>Trichinella</i> antibodies in slaughtered pigs and predisposing factors to trichinellosis in backyard piggeries in Kaduna Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract

Trichinellosis is a cosmopolitan zoonotic disease that affects a large array of mammals, birds and reptiles caused by the eating of raw or undercooked pork containing Trichinella larvae. In this study, 200 pigs slaughtered at abattoirs and slaughter slabs within Kaduna Metropolis were  screened for antibodies to Trichinella excretory-secretory (E/S) antigen using Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). An overall prevalence rate of 16% was established. Age of the pigs revealed an association with trichinellosis (p-value=0.001) with juvenile and adult pigs recording prevalence rates of 5% and 11% respectively. Sex of the animals showed no significant association with trichinellosis but the females had a higher prevalence of 9.5% compared to the 6.5% of the males who had a greater odds (O=1.083) compared to the females (O=0.950). The farm management practices: intensive (1%), semi-intensive (2.5%) and extensive (12.5%) recorded a significant relationship with trichinellosis (p-value=0.001). Sources of the pigs whether markets, backyard farms or inheritance was significantly associated with trichinellosis (p-value=0.00) with backyard farm having the highest prevalence of 7%. Poor rodents control program, presence of snakes around and within piggery, feeding of pigs with dead animals and leftovers, lack of knowledge of pork-borne diseases, allowing pigs to scavenge and interaction of the pigs with stray pigs were very important predisposing factors to trichinellosis in pig farms established from this research. The result of this work therefore, is of
public health importance because meat and meat products are considered very important sources of daily protein in-take in Kaduna Metropolis, Nigeria.

Keywords: Antibodies; ELISA; Kaduna Metropolis; Nigeria; trichinella; trichinellosis; predisposing factors; farm management.