Yohannes Teame2025-06-172023-10-25https://repository.mu.edu.et/handle/123456789/55210.82589/muir-46910.82589/muir-469Hydatidosis is one of the neglected parasitic diseases with both public health and economic importance worldwide. In Ethiopia it is one of the major parasitic diseases responsible for low productivity of livestock industry through imposing poor weight gains and condemnation of organs. Even though, the disease is well documented throughout the country, its current prevalence and economic impact was not known in cattle slaughtered at Maichew municipality abattoir. To fill the gap, a cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2021 to Oct 2023 to estimate the prevalence, cyst characterization and economic importance of bovine hydatid cyst in the Maichew municipal abattoir. To achieve these objectives, routine meat inspection, hydatid cyst count and characterization were performed. In the current study, out of 384 heads of cattle slaughtered and examined in the abattoir; 11.98% (46/384) were harboring hydatid cyst in the major vital organs of the host as follows: lungs, 46.2% (21/46) and liver, 41.8% (18/46). In the current study, these two organs were the most affected once. In addition, out of the total of 117 cysts examined for the fertility test, 46.2 % (54/117), 31.6% (37/117), and 22.2% (26/117) were found to be fertile, sterile, and calcified cysts, respectively. Furthermore, of the total 54 fertile cysts tested for viability, 63% (34/54) were viable and 37% (20/54) were non-viable cysts and the difference in prevalence among animals of different body condition score was statistically significant (P< 0.05). The prevalence was highest in poor body condition than medium and good body condition scores. This might be due to either the impact of the parasites in body condition losses or animal with poor body condition are less resistance to limit the development of the cyst in the vital organs. Lastly, this study revealed that the total annual economic loss due to bovine hydatidosis in Maichew municipal abattoir was estimated to be 461,164.96 ETB (13,974.7US$). The results of this study indicated that hydatidosis pose significant economic impact by causing condemnation of considerable numbers of organs, rendering them unfit for market. Therefore, initiation and implementation of control measures are very important in order to alleviate its economic impact as well as zoonotic risks to the humanenAbattoirEconomic impactHydatidosisMaichewPrevalenceThesis