Abstract:
Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a cosmopolitan zoonosis caused by Echinococcus
granulosus sensu lato. Reported prevalence of CE from the Maasai and Turkana
pastoral communities ranges from 3.6% to 19.4%. Echinococcus taxa identified in
hosts in these areas were; E. granulosus G1, E. ortleppi and E. canadensis G6. This
study sought to find out the current prevalence, predilection site and genetic diversity
of Echinococcus spp. in livestock from Maasailand and Turkana. A survey was
carried out at four slaughter houses; one in Kitengela, one in Lomidat and two in
Suswa to examine carcasses for Echinococcus cyst. PCR-RFLP and partial
sequencing of the mitochondrial gene NADH dehydrogenase gene (nad-1) were used
to differentiate 293 cyst isolates to the species level. Prevalence levels of CE were
25.8% (151/587) in cattle, 16.5% (71/430) in sheep and 10.8% (21/194) in goats
from Maasailand and 12.4% (12/97) in cattle and 6.8% (5/73) in goats from Turkana.
A total of 906 Echinococcus cysts were isolated from the liver (540 cysts), lungs
(359 cysts), heart (3 cysts), kidney (2 cysts) and spleen (2 cysts). Echinococcus
granulosus s.l. taxa identified were E. granulosus G1 in cattle, sheep and goats in
Maasailand and Turkana, E. ortleppi in cattle and E. canadensis G6 in sheep and
goats from Maasailand. The prevalence of livestock CE in Maasailand and Turkana
ranges 6.8% to 25.8%. The liver of livestock is the main predilection site of
Echinococcus cysts. Echinococcus granulosus G1 was the dominant taxon (287/293
isolates) in livestock from Maasailand and Turkana. Similar studies need to be
carried out in dogs and humans in the Maasai and Turkana pastoral communities.
