Taenia saginata cysticercosis is one of the zoonotic diseases that threaten food safety and food security, particularly in developing countries. A cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the prevalence and cyst distribution in infected cattle, and food safety implications of Taenia saginata cysticercosis in Harari People’s National Regional State, eastern Ethiopia. Post-mortem inspection of carcasses and organs of slaughtered cattle in Harar Municipal Abattoir, cyst viability tests and interviews with randomly selected meat consumers were undertaken. The post-mortem inspection showed that of the 898 local zebu cattle slaughtered for human consumption and examined for the presence of cysticerci of T. saginata, 19.7% (177/898; 95% CI = 17.2–22.5) harboured at least one cyst in the muscles or organs inspected. Of the edible anatomical sites with cysticerci, shoulder muscle, liver and heart together represented 65.4%, 66.0% and 65.4% respectively of relative prevalence, total cyst count and cyst viability. These edible sites are preferred above others by local people for preparation and consumption of raw or inadequately cooked meat dishes that are locally served as kurt, kitffo and dullet. The interviews revealed that among the 300 study participants, 182 (60.7%) had been infected by taeniosis at least once during the previous year and of these 99.0% had eaten raw or undercooked beef, the majority (88.3%) obtained from butchers assumed to provide officially inspected meat that was fit for consumption. This indicated that existing meat inspection processes were inadequate to prevent carcasses infected with T. saginata cysticerci from reaching consumers. The high prevalence of viable cysts in the edible parts of beef together with the widespread consumption of raw or undercooked beef indicated the importance of T. saginata cysticercosis as a food safety problem in eastern Ethiopia. The promotion of policies to upgrade existing meat inspection procedures and public education to ensure effective prevention of T. saginata taeniosis in humans were recommended.

A cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of bovine cysticercosis and hydatidosis was conducted from October 2007 to March 2008 in cattle slaughtered at the Jimma municipal abattoir. Cyst distribution and viability of bovine cysticercosis and hydatidosis were also determined. A total of 512 carcasses were inspected of which 15 (2.93%) and 161 (31.44%) were infected with Taenia saginata metacestodes and hydatid cysts, respectively. From a total of 109 cysticerci collected from infected carcasses, 47 (43.12 %) were viable. The anatomical distribution of the cysticerci was, shoulder muscle (39.5°%), heart (33.9 %), neck muscle (13.8°%), tongue (10.1°%), masseter muscles (1.8°%) and diaphragm (0.9°%). Of the 1171 hydatid cysts collected 223 (19.0°%) were fertile, 505 (43.1 °%) sterile, 49 (29.8 °%) calcified and 94 (8.0 °%) contained pus. A greater proportion of fertile cysts were found in the lungs than in other organs. It was concluded that these zoonotic cestodes deserve due attention to safeguard public health, and that further studies are needed on genotyping, epidemiology and public health importance of Echinococcus granulosus in the study area.

Data from slaughter plants (n = 3) and feedlots (n = 18) in eastern Washington were analyzed to characterize occurrence patterns of cysticercosis in Washington during 1984. Three concurrent peaks in cysticercosis rates (0.6/1,000 to 5/1,000 slaughtered cattle) were detected at 3 slaughter plants. Peaks were observed at 8 feedlots from December 1983 to March 1984, at 6 feedlots from April to July 1984, at 2 feedlots from August to October 1984, and at 3 feedlots from November 1984 to February 1985. Affected feedlots were not closely associated geographically and were feeding cattle from many, predominantely northwestern, origins. For 3 feedlots for which time in the feedlot was available for each slaughter shipment, an increase in cysticercosis rate with increasing time in the feedlot was noticed. Within these 3 feedlots, cases of cysticercosis were widely scattered spatially. The pattern of cysticercosis indicated human fecal contamination of a regionally available feed source. Of feedstuffs in use, potato waste, a byproduct of the processed potato industry, appeared to be the most likely source of Taenia saginata ova.