Pathological study and molecular detection of zoonotic diseases in small ruminants at slaughter houses in Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Background and Aim: Slaughterhouses act as a significant public health hotspot in developing countries like Bangladesh. The study aimed to investigate small ruminants at slaughterhouses for pathological study and molecular detection of important zoonotic diseases. Materials and Methods: A total of 75 goats and 14 sheep were investigated from June 2019 to January 2020 at different slaughterhouses in Mymensingh division, Bangladesh. The targeted diseases were tuberculosis (TB), listeriosis, Q fever, brucellosis, anthrax, toxoplasmosis, hydatidosis, and linguatulosis. The tentative diagnosis was made based on gross and histopathological lesions. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to confirm the causal agents of zoonotic diseases using disease-specific primers. Results: Grossly, caseous nodule formation in the visceral organs; enlarged and calcifications of mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs); hydatid cyst formation in the liver were the predominant lesions observed. Histopathologically, granuloma, caseous necrosis, and calcifications admixed with acid-fast bacteria in the MLNs, liver, spleen, and kidney were seen as suggestive of infectivity due to TB. Septic lymphadenitis mixed with rod-shaped bacteria, doughnut granuloma, fibroplasia accompanied by eosinophils and lymphocytic infiltration in MLNs, and portal granuloma were observed in listeriosis, Q fever, linguatulosis, and toxoplasmosis suspected cases, respectively. The PCR amplified Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (372 bp), Mycobacterium bovis (600 bp), Listeria monocytogenes (517 bp), Toxoplasma gondii (512 bp), and Coxiella burnetii (687 bp) species-specific amplicons. In addition, linguatulosis and hydatidosis were identified in six and three goats, respectively. Brucellosis and anthrax were not detected in any cases. The slaughterhouse samples were also found to harbor the coexistence of different zoonotic pathogens. Conclusion: Deadly infectious zoonotic diseases in goats and sheep at slaughterhouses may cause widespread public health risks. As a result, more intensive monitoring and epidemiological surveys are required to successfully prevent and control zoonotic diseases.