Prevalence of cestode parasites in sheep slaughtered in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia

Prevalence of tapeworm infections among sheep slaughtered in Riyadh City were studied from February 2007 to March 2008. A total of 76 out of 3300 sheep were infected with adult cestodes (2.3%). The highest infection rate was in autumn (8.1%), and the lowest one was in summer (1.7%). The cestodes were identified as Moniezia expansa (96.3%) and M. deuticulata (3.7%). Concerning seasonal dynamics of the worms, the highest number was recorded in October and November (13.5 & 8.3%), while the lowest one was in June and July (0.7 & 1.3%). The examination of muscle samples from rump, shoulders and thigh of 1001 sheep revealed Cysticercus ovis in 120 sheep (12%). The highest infection rate (17.5%) was in autumn, and the lowest one (6.2%) was in summer.