The prevalence detection of Cysticercus bovis in slaughtered cattle in El-Bassatine abattoir, Cairo, Egypt

Cysticercus bovis, a larval stage of Taenia saginata, one of the most common foodborne cestodes globally, causes Cysticercosis in cattle and infects humans who consume raw or undercooked meat. Existing C. bovis detection methods in cattle rely on visual evaluation of meat. This study aimed to confirm the identification of C. bovis via visual inspection at El Bassatine abattoir in Cairo, Egypt, with a molecular diagnosis. A cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2022 to December 2022 to determine the prevalence of C. bovis in cattle slaughtered at El Bassatine abattoir, Egypt. A total of 65264 cattle carcasses (64884 males and 380 females) were examined for gross lesions of C. bovis; then, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification for HDP2 gene sequencing was used to confirm the positive samples. Out of 65264 cattle, 561 were positive for C. bovis, with an overall prevalence of 0.86%. Based on the sex of the animals and seasonality, C. bovis was not detected in females throughout the year, while in cattle males' prevalence was 173(1.01%), 200 (1.18%), 114 (0.75%), and 74 (0.47%) during Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn, respectively. From the inspected organ, the heart was the most affected (0.76%), followed by masseter (0.07%), then skeletal muscle (0.03%), and the tongue (0.02%). Molecularly, a diagnostic band at an amplicon size 599 bp targeting the HDP2 gene for C. bovis was revealed. As a result, while meat inspection can be employed as a primary screening technique for C. bovis, an accurate diagnosis needs specific molecular testing.