Prospective abattoir-based surveillance of cattle diseases and reproductive wastage at Kubwa Abattoir, Abuja, Nigeria: seasonal epidemiology and one health implications

Abstract

Abattoir-based surveillance is a critical but underutilised component of integrated disease monitoring in sub-Saharan Africa. This cross-sectional study characterised slaughter demographics, seasonal dynamics, and sex-specific disease patterns among 4,450 cattle slaughtered at Kubwa Abattoir, Abuja, Nigeria, in 2025, based on post-mortem findings for 14 conditions. Male cattle constituted 73.5% of animals slaughtered (M: F ratio 2.8:1). A total of 2,231 disease events were recorded (50.13 events per 100 cattle). Fasciolosis was the predominant condition (30.49%; 95% CI: 29.16–31.86%), followed by paraphistomosis (11.62%) and foetal loss (5.15%; 19.4% of females); gross lesions suggestive of bovine tuberculosis were detected in 0.83% of animals. Fasciolosis, paraphistomosis, and foetal loss showed significant female predominance (all p < 0.001), and paraphistomosis, dermatophilosis, and foetal loss were significantly concentrated in the rainy season. Fasciolosis and paraphistomosis showed strong temporal correlation (Spearman ρ = 0.886), and multivariable logistic regression identified November as the month of highest fasciolosis occurrence (OR = 3.36; 95% CI: 2.52–4.47) relative to December. These findings highlight a substantial trematode burden, considerable foetal loss, and detection of zoonotic and transboundary disease lesions, underscoring the need for enhanced pre-slaughter veterinary interventions, seasonal anthelmintic programmes, and integrated One Health surveillance aligned with the Nigeria Livestock Master Plan.