Parasitic causes of meat and organs in cattle at four slaughterhouses in Sistan-Baluchestan Province, Southeastern Iran between 2008 and 2016

This 8-year (from 2008 to 2016) retrospective study calculated the percentage of carcass and organ (lung and liver) condemnations and estimated the direct financial costs at four slaughterhouses in Sistan-Baluchestan Province, Southeastern Iran. Each carcass and organ (lung and liver) was thoroughly examined through inspection, palpation and incision following the standard protocol. Identification of the parasites was performed macroscopically. The total direct economic loss due to meat's condemnation was estimated by adding weights of each organ or carcass part and multiplying individual organ totals by their 2016 market unit price. A total of 857,039 cattle were slaughtered during this period, 64,497 livers (7.5%), 31,401 lungs (3.6%) and the carcasses of 1,171 cattle (0.1%) were condemned due to lesions caused by parasites. The main parasitic lesions in the condemned livers were attributed to Echinococcus granulosus (4.2%), Fasciola spp. (3.1%) and Dicrocoelium dendriticum (0.1%). All the condemned lungs were due to E. granulosus (3.6%). Taenia saginata cysticerci were detected in 0.1% of inspected animals. Liver condemnation due to cystic echinococcosis was the highest in fall (4.7%, p < 0.001); while lung condemnation was the highest during spring (3.98%, p < 0.001). Liver condemnation due to Fasciola spp. was the lowest in winter (2.99%, p < 0.001). Carcass condemnation as a result of cysticercosis was the highest in summer (p < 0.001). Considering the 2016 market prices, condemnations due to the studied parasites caused direct costs estimated U.S. $ 3,191,879. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report estimating the monetary losses due to parasitic infections in the slaughterhouses of this province. Due to the high financial impact of the studied parasites, a control programme should be implemented to decrease this impact.

Automated summary

This 8-year retrospective study in Southeastern Iran calculated the percentage of meat and organ condemnations at four slaughterhouses, finding that parasitic lesions led to direct economic losses, with liver and lung condemnations being the most prevalent. The study estimated a total direct cost of U.S. $ 3,191,879 due to condemnations caused by parasitic infections.