Financial Losses Arising From Condemnation of Liver Due To Fasciolosis in Cattle from the Western Province of Zambia

Type Journal Article - International Journal of Livestock Research
Title Financial Losses Arising From Condemnation of Liver Due To Fasciolosis in Cattle from the Western Province of Zambia
Author(s)
Volume 2
Issue 3
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2012
Page numbers 133-137
URL http://www.scopemed.org/?jft=68&ft=68-1334665490
Abstract
An evaluation of financial losses due to bovine fasciolosis in Senanga and Shang’ombo districts in the Western Province of Zambia was carried out retrospectively using abattoir records obtained from Senanga District Veterinary Office. The study covered a period of 10 years from January 2001 to December 2010. Budgetary analysis was used to estimate annual financial losses arising from whole liver condemnations. Findings of the study indicate that 118,477 cattle were slaughtered and the same number of livers examined from 2001-2010, out of which 24,060 (20.77%) whole livers were condemned due to fasciolosis, resulting in a direct financial loss of approximately ZMK 1.2 billion which is currently equivalent to approximately US$ 245,000. This implies an annual loss of approximately US$ 24,500 for the 2 districts only. Considering that large portions of Western, Northwestern, Southern, Central and Northern provinces are flood plains and therefore equally prone to fasciolosis, these findings indicate that this disease condition may be causing significant socio-economic losses to the majority rural poor farmers who depend on livestock as their main source of income and livelihood. Thus there may be need for more efforts in order to reduce the socio-economic losses that may be accruing from fasciolosis and other parasites. The results of this study are significant in the sense that currently there is little or no information on financial losses due to fasciolosis as a result of liver condemnations and thus suggest the dire need for more studies in the rest of Western Province as well as in other flood-prone areas of Zambia.

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