Authors : S.J. Sambo , N.D.G. Ibrahim , K.A.N. Esievo , J.O. Hambolu , S.B. Oladele , A.K.B. Sackey and S.M. Makoshi
Abstract: A total of 518 cattle were examined and sampled at Zaria abattoir from November, 2001 to October, 2002. Skin specimens obtained after slaughter from the neck region were fixed in 10% buffered neutral formalin, processed, sectioned at 5 �m thickness and stained with Haematoxylin and Eosin (H and E) technique. At ante mortem examination 5(2.5%) of the cattle were found with gross lesions of besnoitiosis, 103 (19.8%) were diagnosed with dermatophilosis and 50 (9.7%) with tick infestation. Twenty-nine (29, 5.6%) cattle had both dermatophilosis and tick infestation. Histopathological examination confirmed that the 5 cattle clinically diagnosed with besnoitiosis really had cysts of B. besnoiti in skin sections. Four (4, 2.1%) additional cattle had similar cysts in their skin sections although they had no clinical signs of besnoitiosis. Three (3, 1.5%) of these had gross lesions of dermatophilosis and 1 (0.2%) had ticks on the body. Microscopic examination of crusts from the skin specimens confirmed the presence of filaments of D. congolensis. It was concluded that some cases of besnoitiosis may pass unnoticed at clinical examination where the skins are severely affected with dermatophilosis.
S.J. Sambo , N.D.G. Ibrahim , K.A.N. Esievo , J.O. Hambolu , S.B. Oladele , A.K.B. Sackey and S.M. Makoshi , 2007. Co-Existence of Besnoitiosis and Dermatophilosis in Indigenous Cattle Slaughtered at Zaria Abattoir . Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 6: 617-620.