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Bovine Cysticercosis in Denmark

A study of possible causes of infection in farms with heavily infected animals

Bovin Cysticercose i Danmark – en undersøgelse over mulige smittekilder i besætninger med højgradige infektioner

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica volume 31, pages 159–168 (1990)Cite this article

Abstract

Epidemiological studies were made on 14 farms from which, during a 2 year period, 38 cattle had been condemned at slaughter, due to massive infections with Cysticercus bovis. By on-site investigations and interviews, attempts were made to identify the transmission routes of Taenia saginata eggs from human faeces into the environment and further on to cattle.

The most frequent sources of infection were found to be sludge from septic tanks illegally applied on pasture or crops, in some cases after having been mixed with animal slurry. Animals in permanently housed herds were infected through the fodder or by contamination of the indoor environment by such slurry containing Taenia eggs. Other herds were infected by grazing pastures in close proximity to municipal sewage treatment plants. In contrast to earlier Danish observations, application on farmland of sewage sludge from municipal treatment plants was not involved in any of the reported outbreaks. This apparent change coincides with the implementation of more restrictive legislation for the agricultural use of sewage sludge in Denmark.

Sammendrag

Epidemiologiske undersøgelser blev gennemført i 14 kvægbesætninger, fra hvilke ialt 38 dyr var blevet kasseret som følge af massiv infektion med Cysticercus bovis. Gennem besætningsbesøg og interviews blev de sandsynlige smittekilder søgt klarlagt. Den almindeligste smittekilde var septiktankindhold, der havde kontamineret græsningsarealer, foderafgrøder eller staldmiljø, i nogle tilfælde gennem ulovlig opblanding i husdyrgylle. I enkelte af besætningerne var smitten sket ved græsning på arealer umiddelbart op til rensningsanlæg. Her havde kreaturerne desuden haft adgang til at drikke fra vandløb, der bortledte renset effluent og overløbende spildevand. Ingen af de ramte ejendomme havde udspredt slam fra kommunale rensningsanlæg. Sådant slam tillægges derfor ikke mærkbar betydning som smittekilde for bovin Cysticercose i den nuværende epidemiologiske situation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, and National Veterinary Laboratory, Bülowsvej 13, DK-1870, Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark

    Bente Usee, Niels Chr. Kyvsgaard, Peter Nansen & Svend Aa. Henriksen

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  1. Bente Usee
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  2. Niels Chr. Kyvsgaard
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  3. Peter Nansen
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  4. Svend Aa. Henriksen
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Usee, B., Kyvsgaard, N.C., Nansen, P. et al. Bovine Cysticercosis in Denmark. Acta Vet Scand 31, 159–168 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03547557

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Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

ISSN: 1751-0147