Detection of Cysticercusbovis and Age, Sex Relationat Post-Mortem Inspection in Baghdad

Cysticercus bovis is one of the zoonotic diseases that threaten food safeness and food security. It is an infection of cattle generated by the larval stage of the human tapeworm Taenia saginata. Humans are the definite host and bovines the intermediary host to this disease. A total of 50 cattle were randomly sampled and regularly inspected for the presence of Cysticercus bovis in edible parts of the slaughtered cows in Baghdad slaughter houses. Sixteen of the 50 meat carcasses inspected at postmortem find to be infected with the parasite (32 %). The shoulder, tongue, masseter, heart and liver harbored at least one cyst. Masseter muscles were the most regularly infected (30 %), followed all the shoulder (26 %) then heart (20 %), tongue (14 %) and liver (10 %). The estimate number of cysts found in a given organ or muscle ranged from one to four, the highest number was registered in the masseter 15 cysts and shoulder muscle 13 cysts, Fallowed by heart 10 cyst, tongue 7 cysts and liver 5 cysts. there is significant variation was observed between different ages of cattle (pgreater than0.05), The infestation rate was more advanced in adult cows than young cows, where the supreme prevalence (24 %) was detected in eldest cows 5 years and above while The infestation rate was lowest in carcasses of cows younger than 5 years (8 %). On the other hand, the infestation rate was more advanced (P0.05) in female 18 % than male carcasses (14 %).