Economic Impact and Disease Insights: Understanding Organ Condemnation in Cattle Slaughtered at Bahir Dar Abattoir

ABSTRACT

Background

Abattoir surveillance is the font of valuable information on the incidence and epidemiology of animal disease, having both public and animal health importance. A cross‐sectional study followed by simple random sampling was conducted from December 2021 to May 2022 to identify the major causes of edible offal condemnation and to estimate the financial losses attributed to edible offal condemnation in cattle slaughtered at Bahir Dar municipal abattoir, northwestern Ethiopia, using antemortem and post‐mortem examination.

Result

Out of 334 cattle investigated, 3.6% (12/334) cattle showed detectable abnormalities including diarrhoea in 0.6% (2/12), lameness in 0.9% (3/12) and tick infestation in 1.2% (4/12), and nasal discharge in 0.9% (3/12) in cattle during an antemortem examination. However, in post‐mortem examination, 22.16% (74/334) of cattle revealed lesions in visceral organs including the liver (14.6%), lung (9.9%), kidney (1.8%), heart (2.4%) and tongue (0.9%). The major causes that were identified in the current study include calcification, fasciolosis, hydatid cyst, cirrhosis, abscess, pneumonia, haemorrhage, emphysema, congestion, pericarditis, Cysticercus bovis, nephritis and renal calculi. Among the putative risk factors, only body condition was shown to have statistically significant variation (p < 0.05) with the prevalence of major causes of organ condemnation upon post‐mortem examination. The overall financial losses incurred due to organ condemnation were estimated to be $475.19, with an annual loss of $15,447.85.

Conclusion

The current study implies that there was considerable edible offal condemnation resulting in significant economic loss. This instigates that it is crucial to adopt efficient animal management practices, conduct regular health assessments of animals and provide educational programmes for animal owners on disease prevention strategies like deworming to reduce the incidence of organ condemnation and its financial impacts in the region.

From 334 cattle slaughtered in the Bahir Dar municipal abattoir, different lesions resulting in total or partial organ condemnation were found in organs of 12 (3.6%) cattle. Organs affected by different lesions or disease were liver 14.6% (49/334), lung 9.9% (33/334), heart 2.40% (8/334), kidney 3.6% (12/334) and tongue 0.9% (3/334).

Abbreviations

PC

partial condemnation

TC

total condemnation

1. Introduction

Nowadays, the human population as well as the demand for animal‐derived foods is growing fast in different countries around the world especially undeveloped and developing countries; this growth rate is faster than the growth rate in animal production (Pawlak and Kołodziejczak 2020). Cattle, sheep and goats are the main sources of red meat for human consumption. Nevertheless, different infectious diseases retard pose livestock productivity and the exploitable resource through poor weight gain, treatment cost and condemnation of the edible offal in the abattoir as well as the zoonotic implication in consumers (Yibar et al. 2015). Beef is the third most widely consumed type of meat following pork and poultry. Nevertheless, beef was shown to be an important source and vehicle for biological (e.g., pathogenic bacteria, viruses or parasites) and chemical (e.g., residues of animal drugs, heavy metals, pesticides, mycotoxins) perilous substances with grave food safety and public hazard (Ciui et al. 2023).

As reported by Abuseir (2019) and Ciui et al. (2023), the most common reasons for edible offal condemnation in post‐mortem examination include illnesses brought by parasites, bacteria and viruses. Poor bleeding, abscess, adhesion, tuberculosis (TB), pneumonia, Cysticercus bovis, bruises and hydatid cysts were the most commonly reported causes of entire carcass condemnation in Ethiopia (Garcia‐Diez et al. 2023). The primary reasons for partial condemnations (PCs) were carcass bruising, inadequate bleeding, contamination and adhesion (Mummed and Webb 2015). Major parasite illnesses including fasciolosis, hydatid cyst, cysticercosis and other lesions like abscess and cirrhosis pose a considerable economic loss by degrading meat quality and causing edible organs to be condemned (Kouam et al. 2019). Animal deaths, poor weight increase and the rejection of edible organs and carcasses at slaughter during regular meat inspection all result in a large economic loss estimated to be $900 million every year globally (Abatemam et al. 2018; Alemu et al. 2017; Jwher et al. 2022).

The abattoir provides crucial insights into the occurrence of animal diseases and conditions, including those that can be transmitted to humans. Animals that appear healthy but may still carry diseases can be identified during slaughter, and a comprehensive understanding of these diseases and conditions can be achieved with proper documentation (Alemu et al. 2017; Sattar et al. 2023). This provides important epidemiological and economic data associated with the identification of the prevailing disease conditions and associated carcass and edible offal condemnation in the abattoir. Thus, monitoring emerging infectious and zoonotic diseases in food animals is a crucial part of food safety systems, and abattoirs are vital for ensuring food safety and hygiene (Falzon et al. 2021; Godwin et al. 2023). Abattoirs offer essential information regarding public exposure to specific zoonotic diseases and provide estimates of financial losses due to the condemnation of affected organs and carcasses. Furthermore, abattoir records help in developing strategies for controlling livestock diseases (Comin et al. 2023; Mohamed 2021).

This can be addressed by applying appropriate antemortem and post‐mortem examinations, which comprise gross and microbiological examinations, that are required for meat inspection at abattoirs to provide the public with sanitary, quality, wholesome and disease‐free meat and to prevent animal‐origin zoonotic diseases (Harley et al. 2012). A thorough post‐mortem examination is crucial to find and remove anomalies, including contaminations, and guarantee that the meat meets the fundamental standards for human consumption (Hazards et al. 2020; Horst et al. 2019).

Epidemiological research on the prevalence and impact of various cattle diseases at the farm level has been conducted in many countries globally. However, there is a lack of studies that assess how bovine diseases can be determined from visible lesions at slaughterhouses, along with evaluations of the resulting economic losses (Ciui et al. 2023). Due to the implications of public health, the economy and animal welfare related to organ condemnation, this study aimed to provide a comprehensive review of the most common reasons, frequency and risk factors for organ condemnation in cattle slaughtered at the Bahir Dar municipal abattoir, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Specifically, the study will (1) describe the pathological lesions causing organ and carcass condemnation, (2) estimate their occurrence in relation to intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors and (3) determine direct economic losses due to condemned organs. This research is grounded on past studies (e.g., Cadmus et al. 2008; Mulugeta and Gebrehiwot 2011), bridging knowledge gaps in regional abattoir‐based surveillance and giving insights into improved disease control and meat inspection interventions in the Bahir Dar municipal abattoir, Amhara Region, Ethiopia.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Study Area

The study was conducted at Bahir Dar municipal abattoir, Bahir Dar, the capital city of the Amhara regional administrative state, situated in the West Gojjam zone, northwest Ethiopia, about 565 km away from Addis Ababa. Geographically, the area is located at 11°29′ N latitude and 37°29′ E longitude with an elevation of 1730 m above sea level (Figure 1). It covers a total area of 28 km² and is flanked by Lake Tana to the North, Woreb rural kebele to the East, Meshenti town to the West and Tissisat Falls to the South. The area receives summer rainfall with a mean annual rainfall of 1465 mm and with a temperature of 29.50°C. The landscape is marked by the presence of Lake Tana, which drains a watershed of about 3000 km² (Tesfu et al. 2022).

FIGURE 1.

Map of the study area, Bahir Dar City (Abeba et al. 2020).

2.2. Study Animal and Animal Husbandry

The study animals were cattle of different age groups, origin (Debretabor, Merawi, Estie, Adet, Gaint and Woreta), and body condition slaughtered at Bahir Dar municipal abattoir. Livestock production is the backbone of the economy of people in the area. In this area, animals slaughtered are raised in both extensive and intensive management systems. The body condition score was determined according to Nicholson and Butterworth (1986) by assigning the numerical values based on the amount of fat and muscle tissue covering specific points like the hip, tail head, spine and ribs on the body through subjectively (visually). Those with scores 1, 2 and 3 were categorized as poor/lean; 4, 5 and 6 were as medium; and 7, 8 and 9 were as good/fat. Based on dentition, cattle were categorized into an age group of young (under 4 years of age), adult (5–7 years of age), and old (above 8 years) (Gatenby 1991; Pace and Wakeman 1983; Pasquini et al. 2003).

Cattle slaughtered at the Bahir Dar municipal abattoir are closely linked to the management trends in the region's livestock production systems. Most of these cattle originate from traditional extensive systems, where local indigenous zebu breeds, such as Fogera and Begait, are maintained due to their adaptability (Yalew et al., 2017). However, the lack of breed improvement strategies aimed at enhancing productivity and health has led to low resilience against chronic infections. This issue is further compounded by inadequate animal health management, as the majority of the animals presented for slaughter are old, emaciated or suffer from undiagnosed chronic diseases (Belayneh et al. 2021). The situation is worsened by substandard veterinary services and a high prevalence of subclinical conditions, including parasitic infestations and zoonoses. Biosecurity on the farm and market level is also very poor; communal grazing, shared watering areas and free movement of cattle facilitate transmission. In addition, nutritional care is generally of poor quality, especially during periods of drought when forage is insufficient. Dietary supplementation and mineral deficiencies greatly compromise the immune system of the animals, making them highly susceptible to infection by fasciolosis, hydatidosis and bacterial pneumonia diseases, most commonly resulting in organ condemnation at meat inspection (Yalew et al., 2017; Yihunie and Yibeletal 2020).

2.3. Study Design

A cross‐sectional study following simple random sampling was conducted from December 2021 to May 2022 to identify the causes of edible offal condemnation and to estimate financial losses associated with causes of offal condemnation among the slaughtered cattle at the Bahir Dar municipal abattoir. The animals included in this study were selected randomly from the animals that arrived at the abattoir each day for the slaughter by allocating an ID for each animal.

2.4. Sample Size and Sampling Technique

A total of 334 animals were included from the animals brought for slaughter from different districts around the municipality. The total number of animals needed for the current investigation was determined by the sample size determination formula derived by Thrusfield (2018) as shown below. The animal data including age, body condition and origin of the animals were recorded upon the arrival of the animals through physical observation and asking the owners to bring the animal for slaughter.

$$N=\frac{Z^2\times \mathrm{Pexp}\left(1-\mathrm{Pexp}\right)}{d^2}$$

 where N = the required sample size, d = desired absolute precision = 0.05, Z ² = statistic constant for a level of confidence = 1.96 and Pexp = expected prevalence.

2.5. Study Methods and Data Collection

2.5.1. Antemortem Inspection

The routine antemortem inspection was conducted on selected individual animals in the lairage, both at rest and in motion in the lairage. After recording the animal signalements, the animals were subjected to general physical diagnosis (Herenda and Chambers 1994). The data were recorded according to the respective identification number of the animal and subjected to the post‐mortem examination if the animal was passed for slaughter and if not excluded from the study.

2.5.2. Post‐mortem Examination

During post‐mortem examination, the liver, lungs, heart, kidney, tongue and carcass were thoroughly examined by visualization, palpation and incisions where necessary for the presence of cysts, parasites and other gross abnormalities. Pathological lesions were differentiated and judged according to guidelines on meat inspection for developing countries, and the results were recorded. Bacterial (TB‐like lesions) and parasitic infections (fasciolosis, hydatidosis, cysticercosis, etc.), or diseases causing lesions (jaundice) that led to the condemnation of carcasses and organs during meat inspection, were identified. The data were collected after thorough post‐mortem examinations by the authors of this study along with resident veterinarians involved in routine meat inspection. Additional examinations of other body parts or systems were conducted in case of extension of lesions. The findings were recorded, and decisions were categorized as totally approved, partially approved and conditionally approved for human consumption, or totally condemned as unfit for human consumption. Organs were considered totally approved only if they were free from abnormalities; if, in a small portion, the organ or carcass was passed for human consumption by trimming off the affected part; and if minor lesions were conditionally approved for human consumption. If serious abnormalities or generalized diseases were found on post‐mortem inspection, organs or carcasses were subjected to complete condemnation (Herenda and Chambers 1994; Yibar et al. 2015).

2.6. Assessment of Financial Loss

The annual financial loss due to carcass and/or edible offal condemnation of cattle slaughtered in the Bahir Dar municipal abattoir was computed by using the formula derived by Ogurinade and Ogunrinade (1980). The cost of the carcass and the edible offal was estimated in reference to the local market, and the approximate annual loss was estimated based on the estimated average number of animals slaughtered and the amount of carcass and edible offal condemned annually in the abattoir. The financial loss associated with carcass, and each edible offal was allocated by analysing the condemnation rate (PC or total condemnation [TC]).

EL = Srx × Coy × Roz

 where EL = estimated annual financial loss due to organs condemnation, Srx = annual cattle slaughter of the abattoir, Coy = average cost of each cattle liver/lung/heart/kidney/tongue and Roz = condemnation rate of cattle liver/lung/heart/kidney/tongue.

2.7. Data Management and Analysis

The data collected from both antemortem and post‐mortem examinations were entered into the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and analysed using STATA 13 (Stata Corp LP, College Station, TX) software programme. The prevalence of causes for organ condemnation was determined as a proportion of affected organs out of the total examined organs. The association between different risk factors such as animal origin, age and body condition with post‐mortem lesions was analysed by using χ ² (chi‐square) test statistics. For all cases, the level of significance was tested at 95% confidence intervals and a p‐value < 0.05.

3. Results

3.1. Antemortem Findings

Tick infestation 1.2% (4/12), mild watery diarrhoea 0.6% (2/16), clear nasal discharge 0.9% (3/12) and lameness 0.9% (3/12) were the ailments recorded during the antemortem examination of the cattle brought for slaughter (Table 1).

TABLE 1.

Abnormality encountered during antemortem examination.

Abnormal condition	Frequency
Mild watery diarrhoea	0.6% (2/16)
Tick infestation	1.2% (4/12)
Clear nasal discharge	0.9% (3/12)
Lameness	0.9% (3/12)
Total	3.6% (12/12)

3.2. Post‐mortem Findings

In an antemortem inspection carried out on 334 cattle, a total of 12 (3.6%) cattle were found with abnormalities resulting in organ condemnation after post‐mortem examination. From this, 49% liver, 33% lung,8% heart, 6% kidney and 3% tongue were found affected by pathological lesions, resulting in condemnation of the organs. From the abnormal organs of post‐mortem findings, the highest rate 57.9% was observed in poor body‐conditioned cattle, and lower prevalences, 14.5% and 15.6%, were recorded in medium and good body‐conditioned cattle, respectively. The body condition score of the cattle showed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) with affected cattle, but there was no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) with age and origin of cattle (Table 2).

TABLE 2.

Association of risk factors with the occurrence of post‐mortem findings.

Risk factors	No. animal examined	No. of positive animals	χ 2	p‐value
Age
Young	41	6	2.2282	0.326
Adult	171	37
Old	212	31
Body condition
Poor	57	33	50.9376	0.000
Medium	200	29
Good	77	12
Origin of animal
Adet	46	9	1.4639	0.917
Debretabor	75	19
Estie	63	13
Gaint	55	13
Merawi	40	10
Total	334	74

During the post‐mortem examination, 14.6% (49/334) of the liver was found affected with different lesions like fasciolosis 8.7% (29/49) and calcification 2.9% (10/49) and subjected to PC or TC. From a total of 334 lungs, 33 were found defective and condemned, out of which 2.4% (8/33) were haemorrhagic and 1.8% (6/33) were pneumonic. In the current study, 2.40% (8/334) heart was found abnormal and condemned, from this, pericarditis in 0.6% (2/8), hydatid cyst in 0.9% (3/8), and C. bovis in 0.9% (3/8). Of the total kidney examined, there was nephritis and renal calculi in 1.8%. The lesions found in and resulting in the condemnation of the tongue were the abscess and C. bovis, with a frequency of 0.3% and 0.6% respectively (Table 3).

TABLE 3.

Causes and rate of organ condemnation in cattle slaughtered at Bahir Dar municipal abattoir.

Organ condemned	Disease affecting	No. of the organs affected	Frequency (%)	Overall organ condemnation (%)
Liver	Calcification	10	2.9	14.6
	Fasciolosis	29	8.7
	Hydatid cyst	3	0.90
	Cirrhosis	4	1.20
	Abscess	3	0.90
Lung	Pneumonia	6	1.8	9.9
	Haemorrhage	8	2.40
	Calcification	6	1.80
	Hydatid cyst	3	0.9
	Emphysematous	2	1.8
	Congestion	2	0.6
	Abscess	2	0.6
Heart	Peri carditis	2	0.6	2.40
	Hydatid cyst	3	0.9
	Cysticercus bovis	3	0.9
Kidney	Renal calculi	6	1.8	3.6
	Nephritis	6	1.8
Tongue	Abscess	1	0.3	0.9
	Cysticercus bovis	2	0.6

The present study revealed that the odds of cattle from Debretabor being affected by different lesions resulting in organ condemnation was 1.82 (OR = 1.82; CI = 0.67–4.93), those from Merawi was 1.6 (OR = 1.6; CI = 0.53–5.1) and Woreta 1.3 (OR = 1.3; CI = 0.43–3.9) while keeping those cattle from Adet constant. Concerning age, the lesions resulting in organ condemnation were 1.17 times more frequent in old animals while keeping the adults constant. According to the body condition of the animals, the lesions responsible for the TC of the organs of slaughtered animals were found at 0.92 (OR = 0.92; CI = 0.43–1.9) and 7.7 (OR = 7.7; CI = 3.3–17.8) times more frequent in animals with medium and poor body conditions respectively while keeping those with good body condition constant (Table 4).

TABLE 4.

The multivariate logistic regression of risk factors.

Risk factors		OR	Standard error	95% confidence interval
Origin	Debretabor	1.82	0.93	0.67–4.93
	Este	1.21	0.63	0.4–3.34
	Gaint	1.2	0.65	0.41–3.49
	Merawi	1.6	0.95	0.53–5.1
	Woreta	1.3	0.73	0.43–3.9
	Adet	Ref.	Ref.	Ref.
Age	Old	1.17	0.36	0.65–2.14
	Young	0.63	0.33	0.22–1.74
	Adult	Ref.	Ref.	Ref.
BCS	Medium	0.92	0.35	0.43–1.9
	Poor	7.7	3.3	3.3–17.8
	Good	Ref.	Ref.	Ref.

Abbreviation: Ref.‐Reference

3.3. Estimation of Direct Financial Loss

The estimated financial loss recorded with condemnation of the liver was $436.80 (49 × $9.29), the heart was $11.15 (8 × $1.39), the lung was $18.40 (33 × $0.56) and the kidneys were $7.81 (6 × $1.30) based on the average market price of heart, lung, kidney, liver and tongue in the town which was $1.39, $0.56, $1.30, $9.29 and $1.49, respectively, during the study period. The present study showed that an estimated overall direct financial loss due to the condemnation of organs of 334 heads of cattle slaughtered at Bahir Dar municipal abattoir was $475.19 (Table 5). The annual financial loss due to organ condemnation of cattle slaughtered in the Bahir Dar municipal abattoir was computed to be $15,447.85 by using the formula derived by Ogurinade and Ogunrinade (1980) (Table 5).

TABLE 5.

Financial losses due to organ condemnation.

Organs	Judgment		Percentage	Average price ($)	Financial loss ($)
	PC	TC
Heart	2	6	8.08%	1.39	0.46
Lungs	0	33	33.3%	0.56	18.40
Kidneys	2	4	6.06%	1.30	6.51
Liver	4	45	49.4%	9.29	436.80
Tongue	1	2	3.03%	1.49	3.72
Total	9	90	100%	14.03	465.89

Total annual loss
Organ	Average rejection rate	Av. annul slaughter rate	Av. price of organ ($)	Annual loss ($)
Liver	14.6%	10,800	9.29	14,655.01
Heart	2.4%		1.39	361.34
Kidney	1.8%		1.30	288.57
Tongue	0.1%		1.49	142.93
Lung	9.9%		0.56	6048
Total				15,447.85

Abbreviations: PC‐partial condemnation; TC‐total condemnation.

EL = Srx × Coy × Roz

 where EL = estimated annual financial loss due to organs condemnation, Srx = annual cattle slaughter of the abattoir, Coy = average cost of each cattle liver/lung/heart/kidney/tongue and Roz = condemnation rate of cattle liver/lung/heart/kidney/tongue.

4. Discussion

Slaughterhouses can provide valuable insights into animal diseases and their epidemiology. Potential human infections with zoonotic diseases may occur from the consumption or handling of contaminated meat or offal. Therefore, thorough and proper ante‐ and post‐mortem examinations at abattoirs are essential to prevent such infections (Jwher et al. 2022). In the present study, 3.3% (12/334) of cattle slaughtered in the Bahir Dar municipal abattoir were found with different antemortem abnormalities, culminating in an estimated annual financial loss of $475.19. The rate of presence of different antemortem lesions in cattle in the current study was lower than the report of Alembrhan and Tesfay (2013) from the Adigrat municipal abattoir and Efrem et al. (2015) from Nekemte municipal abattoir, Wollega, but greater than the finding of Edo et al. (2014) from Adama municipal abattoir. In post‐mortem examination, 29.6% (99/334) of cattle slaughtered were found with abnormalities resulting in condemnation of one or more organs which was smaller than the findings of Efrem et al. (2015) from Nekemte municipal abattoir, Wollega, and Terefe et al. (2012) from Addis Ababa abattoirs enterprise but relatively higher than the report of Efrem et al. (2015) from Gondar Elfora Abattoir. This difference may be attributed to the differences in the prevalence rate of disease conditions in the different study sites and the study season.

From the organs of the slaughtered animals, the liver was the most affected by different lesions, resulting in total or PC and conditional approval for human consumption followed by the lung. Accordingly, the leading causes of liver condemnation were fascioliasis followed by calcification and cirrhosis. This study indicated that fasciolosis was the most prevalent in the area where the slaughtered cattle were raised. In addition to this, cattle were affected by fasciolosis without showing obvious clinical signs; thus, the animals were left unchecked and not treated. It is also shown that acute infection of fasciolosis is rare in cattle; instead, they tend to suffer from chronic infection (Lalor et al. 2021) which also favours a higher prevalence of fasciola‐associated lesions in slaughtered cattle. Furthermore, the management system of cattle may also contribute to the infection rate of fasciola which is higher in cattle raised through extensive followed by semi‐intensive management systems. This is due to that cattle raised in an extensive management system can be exposed to infection during the grazing and watering time (Kurnianto et al. 2022). The same trend of higher condemnation rate of the liver was reported by Haimanot et al. (2015), but is lower when compared with the reports by Kumbe (2019) from the Asella municipal abattoir and Solomon and Alemu (2019) from the Hawass municipal abattoir. The higher prevalence of calcification and cirrhosis next to fasciolosis in the liver in our study may be attributed to the fact that cattle infected with fasciolosis probably develop calcification and cirrhosis. This is due to the fasciola inflicting cuticular damage to the liver tissue with resultant calcification and cirrhosis (Taibi et al. 2019).

In addition, the condemnation rate of the liver was lower than the report (Berbersa et al. 2016) from Arbaminch municipality abattoir (Amene et al. 2012), from Jimma municipal abattoir and (Mandefro et al. 2015) from Wacha municipal abattoir, southern Ethiopia. This variation may be attributed to the variation in the climate and ecological conditions such as altitude, rainfall, temperature, deworming practice in the area, availability of veterinary service and the livestock management system in the study area. In another study by Jwher et al. (2022), different lesions were recorded in the liver and lungs of the total slaughtered sheep in the year, and hydatid cyst was the most prevalent lesion. This was lower than the finding of the current study, and the leading lesion in the liver was fascioliasis, but haemorrhage in the lung.

In the present study, of the total (9.9%) lungs were condemned due to different diseases and lesions including haemorrhage, hydatid cyst, pneumonia, emphysema and abscess. Among these lesions, haemorrhage is the predominant cause of lung condemnation as reported previously by Haimanot et al. (2015) from the Diredewa abattoir. The condemnation rate of the lung in the present study was lower than the findings of Amene et al. (2012) and Efrem et al. (2015) but higher than the report of Alembrhan and Tesfay (2013) who reported the same condemnation rate. This higher presence of haemorrhage in the lung may be attributed to the rest of the lesions identified in the lung eliciting haemorrhage by parenchymal damage and/or compromising the blood circulation in the lung tissue. As the lung has an exceptional vascular structure characterized by a dual blood supply, the pulmonary circulation and the bronchial circulation (Suresh and Shimoda 2016), it may be more susceptible to various pathological processes that can lead to haemorrhage. Hydatid cyst was the second leading cause of lung condemnation in our study. This may be attributed to the presence of the dogs in close vicinity to the livestock grazing field or the home as the dogs are carriers for the hydatid cyst (Jwher et al. 2022).

In our investigation, 2.4% of the heart of the slaughtered cattle were found affected by different lesions culminating in condemnation, which was higher as compared to the report by Amene et al. (2012) from Jimma abattoirs. However, it was lower than that reported from Dessie municipal abattoir by Tefera et al. (2016) and Shiferaw et al. (2009) from Mekele municipal abattoir. The disease conditions incriminating the heart being condemned in the current study have nearly the same rate and include pericarditis, hydatid cyst and C. bovis. This higher prevalence of hydatid cyst and C. bovis may be ascribed to the presence of high‐population dogs, poor hygienic practices, limited accessibility of health care services and increased interconnectedness among dogs, humans and cattle in the area where the animals were raised (Fakhri et al. 2024). This favours the circulation of the disease within the animals and among human beings and animals. Furthermore, the epidemiology of cystic echinococcosis shows the socio‐economic interplay.

Beyond the carcass and/or edible offal condemnation and financial loss, diseases like hydatidosis (Getaw et al. 2010), fasciolosis (Yatswako and Alhaji 2017) and cysticercosis (Swai and Schoonman 2012) have public health implications through the food chain as people consume infected raw or inadequately cooked meat. This informs that an integrated abattoir along with efficient meat inspection is paramount to safeguard the community from animal food‐borne zoonosis and bottleneck the propagation of the zoonotic disease. Furthermore, abattoir effluent and improper disposal of the condemned carcass and/or edible offal and non‐edible offal facilitate dissemination of the disease (Mozhiarasi and Natarajan 2022). Thus, efficient control and prevention strategies on farms are further advantageous to breaking the epidemiological path of zoonotic diseases.

In our study, nephritis and renal calculi were the main causes for the condemnation of 1.2% of kidneys, both showing equal prevalence in the current finding, and the condemnation rate of the kidney was lower than the finding of Shiferaw et al. (2009) from Mekelle abattoir. This similar prevalence rate of renal calculi and nephritis may be attributed to the reason that renal calculi cause chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis or rupture of the collecting tubules by blocking the urine through urinary tubules. The possible reason for the presence of renal calculi may be that fattening cattle are fed with high cereal ration, and these feedstuffs contain phosphorus and magnesium in excess, but relatively low levels of calcium and potassium, predisposing to the development of renal calculi. Heavy concentrate–low roughage diets, limited water intake, deprivation of water or dehydration, urine alkalinity, mineralized artesian water and alkaline water supplies are also predisposing factors (Ozmen 2004). In addition, cattle grazing in pastures containing large quantities of oxalates, oestrogen or silica are prone to developing renal calculi (Makhdoomi and Gazi 2013; McClellan 2018).

In an attempt made to elevate the association of slaughtered cattle body condition with the edible offal condemnation, the highest rate (57.9%) of post‐mortem findings was observed in poor body‐conditioned cattle followed by good body‐conditioned (15.6%) then by medium (14.5%) body‐conditioned cattle. The likelihood of cattle with a poor body condition score being affected by different diseases culminating in edible offal condemnation was 7.7% (OR = 7.7, CI = 3.3–17.8) times higher than those cattle with medium body condition score while keeping those cattle with good body condition score constant. This may be ascribed to that different diseases and lesions recorded in this investigation cause body condition loss in animals. The animal body condition score has a statistically significant influence on the presence of diseases and lesions leading to the edible offal condemnation.

In the present study, the total financial loss due to edible offal condemnation in slaughtered cattle was estimated to be $475.19. This revealed that the financial loss attributed to organ condemnation was higher than the reports from Wolaita Sodo municipal abattoir $452.42 by Abunna and Hordofa (2013) and Gonder $400,852.21 by Mesele et al. (2012) but lower than that reported from Jimma municipal abattoirs $3209.37 by Amene et al. (2012) and Mosul Abattoir, Iraq, $35,232 by Jwher et al. (2022). The study encountered major financial loss incurred due to the condemnation of the liver which accounts for $436.80 and the lung $18.40. The amount of financial loss variation in different abattoirs may be probably due to the differences in the prevalence of diseases, local market price of organs, management of animals, rejection rate of organs and slaughtering capacity of the abattoirs (Alemu et al. 2017).

An undeniable amount of research (Agegn et al. 2016; Berbersa et al. 2016; Edo et al. 2014; Jemal and Kebede 2016; Mohammed et al. 2012; Molla et al. 2020; Regassa et al. 2013; Sheferaw and Abdu 2017) reported from different parts of the country indicates that organ and/or carcass in slaughtered cattle incur varying levels of economic loss in different parts of the country. When examining the differences in reported economic losses across various studies, several factors should be considered. These include the number of animals that were slaughtered, variations in management practices, the types and prevalence of lesions assessed, the items analysed, the rates at which organs are rejected, the length of the study period and the local market prices for the edible parts of the animals. The financial losses associated with pathological findings drive enhancements in the control strategies for the most prevalent diseases affecting slaughtered cattle in their regions of origin (Yibar et al. 2015). These findings imply that there is another financial loss associated with low feed conversion, treatment cost, slow weight gain and longer fattening time associated with human labour at the farm level. These animals look healthy while being affected by different ailments, resulting in public health hazards and economic loss.

5. Limitations of the Study

The current investigation has certain limitations that should be taken into consideration and addressed through further study. Firstly, the study has not undertaken a bacteriological investigation to ascertain the presence of zoonotic bacterial infections due to facial deficits. Secondly, a traceback study to assess the management system and ecological factors favouring the infected animals with different diseases was not done. Thirdly, the study has not addressed the farm‐level treatment, slow weight gain, poor feed conversion and long fattening time (human labour) associated financial loss. Fourthly, the study has not included the KAP of farmers, abattoir workers and end consumers on the meat‐associated zoonosis and possible preventive approach. Therefore, a detailed investigation addressing these limitations is recommended for evidence‐based and efficient reduction of associated public health hazards and economic impact.

6. Conclusion and Recommendation

Abattoir‐based animal disease investigation is very important in ascertaining disease epidemiology and disease prevention, food safety and associated economic impact. This study revealed that there was a significant edible offal condemnation. The identified causes include fasciolosis, hydatidosis, calcification, cirrhosis, abscess, calcification, pneumonia, haemorrhage, emphysema, congestion, pericarditis, C. bovis, nephritis and renal calculi which imped for significant economic losses. The body condition of the animals showed a statistically significant influence in carcass and edible offal condemnation. Thus, proper management of animals, routine follow‐up of animal health and awareness creation for animal owners on animal disease control measures like deworming should be implemented to reduce the rate of organ condemnation and subsequent economic impact in the study area. Particular attention must be given to diseases frequently seen in abattoirs, and effective disease control measures should be rigorously implemented on farms to reduce the risk of zoonotic diseases and lessen economic losses. Furthermore, it is essential to conduct a detailed study to trace back the risk factors and farm‐level financial loss.

Author Contributions

Habtamu Endale was involved in study conception and design, acquisition of data, write‐up of original manuscript and took part in drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content, and Mesfin Mathewos was involved in write‐up of original manuscript and took part in drafting the article or revising data analysis and interpretation. All authors have made substantial contributions in the current research work and agreed to submit to the current journal, gave final approval of the version to be published, and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Funding

The authors have nothing to report.

Ethics Statement

Wolaita Sodo University Research Ethics and Review Committee approved this research work.

Consent

Before collecting samples, verbal consent was also taken from the cattle owners (those who purchased these animals for slaughter) by informing the purpose of the study.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Data Availability Statement

The datasets used and analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on request.