PATTERNS AND DIRECT FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF CONTAGIOUS PLEUROPNEUMONIA IN CATTLE SLAUGHTERED IN KUMASI ABATTOIR, GHANA

A cross-sectional survey was conducted on a five-year retrospective (January, 2009 – December, 2013) meat inspection record as well as active daily records (November 2013 to February 2014) from Kumasi abattoir, Ghana to determine the pattern and direct financial implications of contagious pleuropneumonia in slaughtered cattle. The influence of age, sex and breed of animals on pneumonia was investigated. The degree of pneumonia as percentage of the total lung infected was being determined using standard techniques. Retrospective data of 445,671 cattle between January 2009 and December 2013 showed 0.17 % prevalence with year 2009 having the highest prevalence. In the active surveillance, macroscopic examination of 1500 slaughtered cattle comprising Zebu 510 (34 %), Sanga 270(18  %), N’dama 225(15 %), West African Short Horn (WASH) 315(21 %), and White Fulani 180 (12 %) respectively revealed 36(2.4 %) cattle with contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, out of which 26(72.2 %) lungs were totally condemned and the remaining 10(27.8 %) were partially condemned. Animals within the ages 3 – 6 years (97.2 %), cows and WASH were observed to be more susceptible. The direct financial loss due to partial or whole lung condemnation was GH¢ 1,847.88 ($560) for the 1,500 cattle slaughtered during the active abattoir survey. Consequently, the overall direct financial loss during the five years was estimated to be GH¢ 39,705.09 ($12031.85). This reaffirms CBPP has one of the disease conditions that cause significant economic loss in cattle production in Ghana with sex, breed and age influence prevalence and pattern of pneumonia on slaughtered cattle.