Seroprevalence of Trichinellosis among Pigs at Slaughter in a Major Abattoir in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria

Trichinellosis is a food-borne parasitic zoonosis of public health and economic importance. The present study was aimed at determining the seroprevalence of Trichinella spp amongst pigs at slaughter in Makurdi, Benue State. Blood samples were collected while slaughtering from a total of three hundred and fifty (350) pigs of different sexes, breeds and ages. The sera obtained from the blood samples collected were screened for antibodies to Trichinella spp using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Ninety three (26.6%) out of the 350 pigs sampled were seropositive for Trichinella spp antibodies. The male pigs had a seroprevalence of 26.5% (40/151), while 26.6% (53/199) of the females were seropositive for Trichinella spp antibodies. There was no significant (p> 0.05) association between age, sex and seroprevalence of Trichinella spp antibodies. However, there was a significant (p<0.05) association between seroprevalence of Trichinella spp and the breeds and sources of pigs slaughtered in Makurdi. The study has established a serological evidence of Trichinella spp antibodies amongst pigs at slaughter in Makurdi, Benue state.