title: The Nexus between Bovine Tuberculosis and Fasciolosis Infections in Cattle of the Kafue Basin Ecosystem in Zambia: Implications on Abattoir Surveillance.
abstract: Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) and fasciolosis are important but neglected diseases that result in chronic infections in cattle. However, in Zambia, these diseases are mainly diagnosed at abattoirs during routine meat inspection. Albeit the coinfection status, these diseases have been reported as nothing more than normal separate findings without an explanatory phenomena. Forthwith, we formulated this study to assess the possible association of the two diseases in a known high prevalence area on the Kafue basin ecosystem. Of the 1,680 animals screened, 600 (35.7%; 95% CI 33.4%-38%) and 124 (7.4%; 95% CI 6.1%-8.6%) had fasciolosis and tuberculous lesions; respectively, whilst 72 had both fasciola and tuberculous lesions representing 12% (95% CI 9.4%-14.6%) and 58.1% (95% CI; 49.3%-66.7%) of the total positives for fasciola and tuberculosis, respectively. Jaundice was seen in 304 animals, 18.1% (95% CI; 16.3%-19.9%) and was significantly correlated to fasciolosis (r = 0.59, P < 0.0001). A significant association (χ(2) = 76.2, df = 1, and P < 0.0001) was found between fasciolosis and tuberculous lesions. Simple logistic regression intimated fasciolosis as a strong predictor for tuberculous lesions with animals that had fasciola being five times more likely to have tuberculous lesions (odds ratio = 4.8, 95% CI: 3.3-7.0). This study indicates that transmission and spatial risk factors of communicable and noncommunicable diseases such as bTB and fasciolosis can be correlated in an ecosystem such as the Kafue flats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.
authors.forename: Musso
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Munyeme
authors.forename: Hetron Mweemba
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Munang'andu
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nambota
authors.forename: John Bwalya
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Muma
authors.forename: Andrew Malata
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Phiri
authors.forename: King Shimumbo
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Nalubamba