A pilot investigation of bovine schistosomiasis on Unguja Island, Zanzibar, raises a new concern for elimination of urogenital schistosomiasis.

ABSTRACT: Our pilot parasitological investigation of cattle, supplemented with molecular DNA characterisation of encountered schistosomes, sheds first light upon bovine schistosomiasis on Unguja Island, Zanzibar. During February 2024, a total of 99 cattle were examined. Of these, 47 were exported animals from the Tanzanian mainland, designated for slaughter at two governmental abattoirs (Kisakasaka and Muwanda), and 52 were free-grazing animals sampled from four grazing locations within the island's North and West-B regions. Upon visual inspection of 31 cattle carcasses at Kisakasaka for adult worms, the prevalence of bovine schistosomiasis was 51.6%; however, upon faecal miracidia hatching test (MHT) it was 80.6%. At Muwanda, only faecal MHT was used, finding a much lower prevalence of 12.5%. In fr

SUBMITTER: Ame S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11883948 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature