Vol. 5, Issue 1, Part A (2020)

Author(s): Tadewos Tantasa, Mulugeta Sosango and Amanuel Ashebo

Abstract: A cross-sectional study was conducted from November, 2017 to April, 2018 at Bodit Municipal Abattoir, in Wolaita zone, Southern Ethiopia. With the objectives of to assess the prevalence and type of ruminal and reticular foreign bodies in cattle slaughtered at Bodit Municipal Abattoir and to correlate the frequency of foreign bodies with animal factors such as age, breed, body condition and origin of animals. Both ante mortem and postmortem examinations were employed to examine the live animal and for the recovery of foreign body from rumen and reticulum after slaughter respectively. The study animals were selected by using systematic random sampling method from the total slaughtered animals. The species of animals slaughtered in this abattoir is bovine and only male animals are slaughtered in the abattoir. From the total of 514 male animals are examined and from them (107/514) 20.8% were positive for the occurrence of indigestible rumen and reticulum foreign bodies. The rumen harbored mostly nonmetallic materials while reticulum was the major site for the retention of metallic objects. The prevalence of foreign bodies detected from the slaughtered animals with their age group are young 3(5.2%), adult 34(17.1%) and old 70(27.2%) from the total examined animals are 58, 199 and 257 respectively. The prevalence of rumen and reticulum foreign bodies are higher in cross breeds (39.6%) than local breeds (16.5%). The overall prevalence of foreign bodies in these study animals with low body condition (40.1%) was significantly higher (χ²=72.129, p<0.05) than in those with medium (14.1%) and fat body condition (3.1%). The higher prevalence of foreign bodies were observed in animals originated from Sodo (26.1%) while the lowest from Gesuba (15.7%). The types of foreign bodies encountered in rumen and reticulum were plastics, metals, fabric, leather and others such as hair ball, stone and bone. Out of 107 positive cases of rumen and reticulum foreign bodies (75.7%) were occurred in rumen while (22.4%) in reticulum and the rest present in both. Plastic was the most commonly encountered (30.8%) foreign body. Due to lack of a plastic waste disposal system in the area as well as free grazing of livestock in highly waste-polluted areas seemed to be major factors in the high occurrence of foreign bodies in ruminants. Therefore, appropriate solid waste disposal system need to implement in the study area to prevent health risk of ruminants and also to protect the environment.