Tracing tuberculous cattle from the abattoir to the point of origin.
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Abattoirs↗
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[Electric stunning of animals for slaughter with the Elther apparatus].
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Abattoirs↗
[Helicobacter pylori: studies in domestic swine].
In the course of 15 month, 240 stomachs from pigs slaughtered in three different slaughterhouses were examined for the presence of Helicobacter pylori. In 52.5% of the stomachs, gram-negative curved or spiral shaped bacteria were found, which during the following biochemical analyses were demonstrated to be urease negative. Helicobacter pylori could not be isolated from any of the stomachs. In addition, we conducted four separate experiments on five to eight weeks old piglets in order to determine whether they could be infected by the germ. In the first experiment, the piglets were starved for 24 hours and then driven for five minutes, before an elevated dose of Helicobacter pylori-germs was administrated orally. In the second experiment, acetylsalicylic acid, which is known to damage the stomach lining, was given, even on a damaged mucosa, a dose of 5 x 10(9) living germs could not provoke an infection by Helicobacter pylori. In the third experiment the piglets were given cimetidine, which reduces the production of stomach acid. This measure was presumed to facilitate the penetration of Helicobacter pylori from the stomach cavity underneath the protective mucus. The administration of Helicobacter pylori following the cimetidine-medication proved to be unsuccessful. In addition to culturing and the biochemical analyses employed in the three afore mentioned experiments, the fourth experiment included the identification of the germ means of a breath-analyzing test (with 13C-urea), as is used in medical diagnosis of helicobacteriosis. In these pigs too, infection with Helicobacter pylori was unsuccessful.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Abattoirs↗
On the ecology of Yersinia enterocolitica O 3. Yersinia in synanthropic animals.
Rats (Rattus rattus) and sewer rats (R. norvegicus) trapped outside in piggeries, small mouse-like rodents trapped in human habitations and swine from piggeries and slaughterhouses were examined. In rats, sewer rats and mouse-like rodents other serotypes of Y. enterocolitica than O3 were isolated. However, two out of five sewer rats caught at a slaughterhous yielded Y. pseudotuberculosis I; this finding corresponded with some findings made in swine. Swine positivity rates in piggeries corresponded to the hygienic conditions found there. In a hygienically backward farm six out of 14 piglets were positive, whereas in a piggery with a high standard of hygiene only one out of 44 piglets yielded Y. pseudotuberculosis. Specimens of colon contents from 318 slaughtered pigs yielded Y. enterocolitica O3 three times (0.94%), Y. pseudotuberculosis four times (1.26%) and Y. Enterocolitica serotypes other than O3 18 times; a total of 19 swine (5.9%) were positive, some for two serotypes simultaneously, one for a combination of Y. enterocolitica O3 and Y. pseudotuberculosis I. Apart from this, Plesiomonas shigelloides was isolated from several slaughtered pigs and from one slaughterhouse rat; salmonellae were isolated from some slaughtered pigs, and a common finding was H2S-positive E. coli.
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Retrospective study of four years of carcass condemnation rates for malignant lymphoma in California cows.
A retrospective study was undertaken to examine monthly rates of carcass condemnation for bovine malignant lymphoma in adult dairy cows slaughtered between January 1979 and December 1982, in 2 plants (A and B) in the southern San Joaquin Valley of California. Extremes (mean) of monthly rates for slaughterhouse A were 41 to 100 (65.9) per 10,000 slaughtered and for slaughterhouse B, 39 to 113 (94.1) per 10,000. The overall monthly mean rate was 80 per 10,000 slaughtered. Equations for long-term trend lines for condemnation rates for slaughterhouses A and B were T = 0.398 + 0.0176t - 0.0002t2 and T = 0.314 + 0.0378t - 0.0007t2, where t = month. A difference in patterns of trends was not apparent, although slaughterhouse A tended to have lower rates of condemnation than did slaughterhouse B. Seasonal components of trend lines, estimated by time-series analysis, were not consistent between plants, except for the month of August, during which time seasonally adjusted rates were low for both slaughterhouses. For slaughterhouse A, 2 classic cyclical components were identified--between January 1981 and September 1981 and between September 1981 and September 1982. For slaughterhouse B, the cyclical components were between November 1979 and July 1981 and between July 1981 and August 1982. The later cycle resembled the second cycle of rates from slaughterhouse A. Rates remained stable through 1979 and then increased steadily for 2.5 years. During the last 6 months of 1982, rates leveled off and perhaps began to decline.
Abattoirs↗
[The surveillance of plant hygiene in the slaughtering process].
Basing on inspections of slaughterhouses it was tried to judge the effectiveness of the hygiene supervision implemented by the legislation. The organization of the control, the technological process including abattoir constructions and operations, the general hygienic aspects with special regard to cleaning and disinfection were registered. It is clearly demonstrated by grave examples (eg. wrong organization, insufficient employment of staff, incomplete knowledge, illegal practices) that nowadays in spite of a few exceptions, the supervision of hygiene in abattoirs is fragmentary. Paying attention to the conceptions of EEC committees dealing already with systematic controls, it would be well done to establish already known systems at once in the plants. According to the meat hygiene regulations exclusively official veterinarians are competent for this field of activities. These have to take the actual scientific knowledge into consideration.
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[Clinical examination of cattle for BSE in a cattle facility and slaughterhouse].
Detection of a case of BSE in slaughtered cattle causes considerable expenses. It seems therefore desirable to screen cattle before slaughtering and exclude suspect animals from slaughter. The object of this study was to determine the practicability of such screening under realistic conditions in a large slaughterhouse and to evaluate the specificity of the tests proposed by BRAUN et al. (1997). 949 cattle over 24 months old were examined in the Munich slaughterhouse. Spontaneous behaviour and the reaction to tactile, acoustic, and optical stimuli only could be tested. The evaluation of locomotion was not possible without interference with the routine processing of cattle before slaughter. The examination took about three minutes per animal. The results were evaluated using a modification of the scheme of BRAUN et al. (1997). The specificity of the classification "BSE very likely" was 97.8%. If all animals that exhibit any signs suggestive of BSE were to be excluded, the specificity would drop to 63.7%. This pre-slaughter clinical screening is not useful.
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The prevalence and economic importance of bovine fasciolosis in Kenya--an analysis of abattoir data.
A retrospective study covering a period of 10 years (1990-1999) was carried out using post mortem meat inspection records at the Veterinary Department Headquarters at Kabete to determine the prevalence and economic importance of bovine fasciolosis in Kenya. Meat inspection records from abattoirs in 38 districts distributed over seven out of the eight provinces of Kenya were examined. Prevalence of fasciolosis was calculated as the number of cattle found to be infected with Fasciola, expressed as a percentage of the total number of cattle slaughtered. Using the average weight and market price of a bovine liver, the monetary loss occasioned by condemnation of Fasciola infected livers was calculated. A survey was also carried out at Dagoretti slaughterhouse complex in Nairobi to determine the relative occurrence of F. gigantica and F. hepatica in slaughtered cattle. Cattle slaughtered at Dagoretti slaughterhouse originate from all parts of the country. A total of 5,421,188 cattle were slaughtered in the seven provinces of Kenya during the 10-year period and 427,931 (8%) of these cattle were infected with Fasciola. The region with the highest prevalence of fasciolosis was Western Province (16%) followed, in descending order, by Eastem Province (11%), Nyanza Province (9%), Rift Valley Province (8%), Central Province (6%), Nairobi Province (4%) and Coast Province (3.5%). The total economic loss incurred by the country during the 10-year period as a result of condemnation of the infected livers was approximately US$2.6 million. The total annual economic losses during this period ranged from approximately US$0.2-0.3 million. The highest total economic losses for the 10-year period were recorded in Western Province (US$0.8 million) and Central Province (US$0.7 million). A total of 1584 cattle originating from five provinces of Kenya were slaughtered at Dagoretti slaughterhouse over a period of two months of which 147 (9.3%) were infected with liver flukes. All the liver flukes obtained from the infected livers were identified as F. gigantica. It is concluded that fasciolosis is prevalent in cattle in all provinces of Kenya, that it causes great economic losses as a result of condemnation of infected livers, and that F. gigantica is the main species of liver flukes affecting cattle in Kenya. Local climatic factors, cattle trade, rustling and population numbers, and the presence of the snail intermediate hosts are probably the main factors influencing the incidence of the disease in the various regions of the country.
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Molecular analysis of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Agona isolated from slaughter pigs.
Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica (S.) serovar Agona plays an important role in Brazil as causative agent of salmonellosis in food-producing animals - in particular, pigs and poultry - as well as in humans. A total of 45 S. Agona isolates collected from slaughter pigs at three different slaughterhouses in Southern Brazil was investigated in this study for their phenotypic and genotypic relatedness. For this, the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and the phage types were determined. Molecular analysis included the determination of plasmid profiles as well as the analysis of XbaI- and BlnI-generated macro-restriction patterns. Moreover, a novel typing method called subtracted restriction fingerprinting (SRF) was successfully applied to the S. Agona isolates. Based on all properties determined, a dominant clonal group comprising 33 of the 45 isolates was identified. Members of this group were susceptible to all antimicrobials tested, did not carry plasmids, shared the same phage type and were closely related or even indistinguishable by their EcoRI-PauI SRF patterns as well as their XbaI and BlnI macro-restriction patterns. Members of this clonal group were identified at all 3 slaughterhouses at variable frequencies and originated from pig herds raised in 15 different cities in Southern Brazil which were located up to 450 km apart from each other. Since the S. Agona-carrying slaughter pigs were from various integrated production lines, the results of this study suggest that a specific clonal group of S. Agona had entered numerous pig production lines. This observation supports the requirement for the establishment of monitoring and control programmes in Brazil which should also include molecular techniques to better trace the dissemination of S. Agona and other Salmonella serovars in pigs and other food-producing animals.
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Use of Hygicult-tpc in slaughterhouse hygiene control.
Efficacy of Hygicult-tpc contact agar to control hygiene of slaughter equipment before work was studied in 3 slaughterhouses. Brushes from pork lines had higher bacterial counts (77 +/- 114 cfu on Hygicult slide) than other pieces of equipment in pork (55 +/- 101) and beef (42 +/- 110) lines. Low hygienic levels were found also in aprons, knives and conveyor belts. In general, equipment hygiene varied among the slaughterhouses studied (17 +/- 70, 45 +/- 128, 111 +/- 140) and in the comparisons of certain special equipment. Hygienic levels of the equipment were classified into 3 subclasses according to Hygicult counts. Sterilizers and saws had the lowest counts; aprons, and polishing and prescalding brushes had moderate counts. Highest counts were detected in rubber backscraping brushes and steel brushes used to clean pork carcasses and in conveyor belts. Such equipment is difficult to clean, and the bacterial count of 120 on a Hygicult slide is therefore recommended as the acceptable level after cleaning. The level of 50 on a Hygicult slide is recommended as the acceptable level for equipment, which is easy to clean. The limits recommended are based on the distribution of the Hygicult counts obtained. Hygicult-tpc is suitable for slaughterhouse hygiene control with an incubation for 72 h at 25 degrees C. The flexible handle enables sampling of surfaces that are hard to access with unflexible slides and agars.
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Microbiome and resistome successions in pig carcasses and fresh pork meat throughout slaughtering, processing and shelf-life.
BACKGROUND: Slaughterhouses and meat cutting plants represent potential hotspots for the spread and transfer of spoilage and pathogenic, including antimicrobial resistant, bacteria to meat and meat products. Here, we characterise the progression of the microbiome and resistome of two pork cuts (loin and sirloin) at different stages of processing, from the slaughter line to the end of shelf-life. To this end, we analysed samples from facility surfaces, carcasses, and meat cuts using whole metagenome sequencing. RESULTS: The taxonomic and antimicrobial resistance gene (ARG) profiles of carcasses and meat cuts were significantly influenced by the point of sampling and the processing room. The facility surfaces were found to be the main source of some abundant genera, such as Anoxybacillus, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, and Brochothrix, in carcasses and meat cuts. A total of 1,291 metagenome-assembled genomes were reconstructed, corresponding to the most prevalent species identified in the taxonomic analysis at the read level. A reduction in bacterial and ARGs richness and diversity was observed for carcasses and meat cuts along the production chain, which suggests that processing procedures are effective in reducing bacterial and ARGs loads. Nonetheless, an increase in the ARGs load was observed at two sampling points: the carcass after evisceration and the sirloin at the end of its shelf-life (in this case linked to the increase of a single gene, tet(L)). The ARGs most frequently detected were those associated with resistance to tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, and lincosamides. Acinetobacter (in processing environments and carcass/meat samples) and Staphylococcus (in carcasses and meat) were identified as the main genera associated with the ARGs found. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our results provide the most detailed metagenomics-based perspective on the microbial successions of pig carcasses and fresh meat cuts during slaughtering, processing, and commercialisation. The observations made suggest that selection pressures imposed by processing steps and contact with facility surfaces contribute to shaping the microbiome and resistome of the two pork products throughout their production line and shelf-life. Video Abstract.
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[Brucellosis as occupational disease: study of an outbreak of air-born transmission at a slaughter house].
BACKGROUND: The onset of a large number of cases of brucellosis among employees at a slaughterhouse in Zaragoza where sheep from livestock culling procedures were being slaughtered, led to an investigation being made for the purpose of shedding light on the cause of this outbreak. METHODS: This study was organized into three parts: 1) Description of the outbreak 2) Study of the slaughterhouse layout and activity as regards the number of animals slaughtered, the employee workload and the degree of risk involved in each working area and 3) Unmatched case-control study. RESULTS: No significant differences were found among the attack rates by the sections of the slaughterhouse where the employees in question worked. The slaughtering analysis revealed a concomitant fluctuation between the slaughter of culled sheep and the epidemic. The case-control study revealed no significant differences for the risk factors involving working in a risk area, the use of protective measures and cuts/wounds. CONCLUSIONS: This outbreak is related to the slaughter of culled sheep. The fact that no significant difference were found by sections or due to working in a risk area is compatible with an overall explanation. Nor were any differences among the employees found to exist with regard to cuts/wounds or the use of protective measures, which focuses importance on airborne spread.
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Occurrence and distribution of Arcobacter species in poultry processing.
A total of 16 broiler flocks slaughtered in the morning in eight Belgian poultry slaughterhouses were examined for the presence of Campylobacteraceae. In samples collected before and after chilling, the prevalence of arcobacters was found to be higher than the prevalence of thermophilic campylobacters, with the slaughter procedure used having no clear effect. Two slaughterhouses were selected for a detailed investigation of the occurrence and distribution of arcobacters. Sampling carried out before slaughter revealed that both Arcobacter butzleri and Arcobacter cryaerophilus were commonly present on the slaughter equipment in both plants. These findings indicate inadequate decontamination of the slaughterhouse environment and suggest potential Arcobacter contamination of broiler carcasses through the slaughter equipment. Even before evisceration, contamination levels of hundreds to several thousands of arcobacters per gram of neck skin were detected. It appears unlikely that contamination through slaughter equipment alone explains the high contamination levels found for poultry products. Arcobacters were not isolated from the 30 intestinal tracts sampled for each broiler flock examined. A. cryaerophilus was the only Arcobacter species recovered from the transport crate samples collected before and after washing. Arcobacter contamination during slaughter, either direct (from chicken intestinal content or feces) or indirect (from equipment), was not confirmed. The origin and the precise routes of contamination remain to be determined.
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Effect of pre-slaughter handling on the behaviour and blood composition of beef cattle.
The pre-slaughter handling, behaviour and blood composition of beef cattle at slaughter was studied in a commercial slaughterhouse. The main problems identified were the routine use of driving instruments and delays caused by stoppages in the slaughter line. The plasma concentration of cortisol at the time of slaughter was positively correlated with the time spent standing still and with the time spent in the pre-stun pen. The plasma activity of creatine kinase was positively correlated with the time spent in the race, but no correlations between creatine kinase and physical activity in the race were found. The plasma concentration of glucose was positively correlated with the time spent trotting and the number of times that struggling occurred. The proportions of cattle struggling, vocalizing and defaecating were greatest when they were confined in the race and pre-stun pen. Cattle kept overnight in the lairage had a greater concentration of free fatty acids at the time of slaughter than those slaughtered on the day of arrival. There were no other significant differences in either the blood composition or the handling and behaviour of cattle kept overnight in the lairage, compared with those slaughtered on the day of arrival. Some of the handling problems observed were caused by incorrect design of the handling facilities. There should be some means of removing cattle from a race if delays are encountered and some means of handling the cattle in the race other than by using an electrical goad. The optimal dimensions of races and passageways to prevent crowding and turning around should be assessed at the design stage. Non-slip floors are essential.
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Risk factors associated with Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica contamination of chicken carcases in Senegal.
This study was to identify the risk factors for Salmonella spp. contamination of Senegalese chicken carcases during slaughtering. One hundred and twenty traditional slaughterhouses were studied from January 2000 to December 2002 in and around Dakar. A questionnaire was answered by the slaughterers, and samples of breast skin were taken to assess the Salmonella status of chicken carcases. Results showed that 43.3% of the batches were contaminated with Salmonella, indicating Salmonella Hadar and Salmonella Brancaster as the two main serovars. Salmonella contamination of the carcases after slaughtering was related to contamination of the live birds. Feed withdrawal before slaughtering and thorough cleaning and disinfection procedures decreased the risk of contamination. One individual worker for each slaughtering stage was also associated with a decreasing risk of contamination. Using scalding water for plucking the chicken carcases increased contamination risk. These results will help slaughters to produce safer products for local consumers.
Abattoirs↗
Risk factors associated with Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica contamination of chicken carcases in Senegal.
The objective of this study was to identify the risk factors for Salmonella spp. contamination of Senegalese chicken carcases during slaughtering. One hundred and twenty traditional slaughterhouses were studied from January 2000 to December 2002 in and around Dakar. A questionnaire was administered to the slaughterers and samples of breast skin were taken to assess the Salmonella spp. status of chicken carcases. Results showed that 43.3% of the chicken batches were contaminated with Salmonella spp., with Salmonella Hadar and Salmonella Brancaster as the two main serovars. Salmonella spp. contamination of the live birds before slaughtering was related to contamination of the carcases after slaughtering. Feed withdrawal before slaughtering and thorough cleaning and disinfection procedures decreased the risk of Salmonella contamination. One individual worker for each slaughtering stage was also associated with a decreased risk of Salmonella contamination. Using scalding water for plucking increased the risk of contamination. These results will help slaughterers to produce safer products for local consumers.
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Epidemiological studies and proposed preventive measures in the fight against human salmonellosis.
A large number of countries annually report high numbers of Salmonella infections in man. Since it is estimated that these reported cases only represent 1 to 10% of the real incidence of this disease, it must be concluded that human salmonellosis is a serious problem all over the world. The major source for human salmonellosis is caused by farm animals, which may frequently be intestinal carriers of the organism. Particularly pigs and poultry are incriminated in this respect, and, to a lesser degree, cattle and sheep. Because generally no symptoms of disease can be observed, these animals usually pass veterinary slaughterhouse inspection without restrictions. During slaughter however, intestinal material, often containing Salmonella bacteria, pollutes the surface of carcasses, which in later stages may lead to extensive Salmonella contamination of meat and meat products. Additionally, milk may also be contaminated by faecal material during collection, while eggs may be externally contaminated by faecal material or internally infected by way of transovarial transmission. Cross-contamination in slaughterhouses, in butchers' shops and in the kitchen may add to the problem. Human infection occurs when animal products are improperly handled during final preparation. This may happen at home, but also in large kitchens of restaurants, hospitals, institutions and factories. In most instances infection is related to cross-contamination from meat to foods that are to be consumed without further treatment, such as bread, salads and fruits, to improper heating of the animal products themselves, as for instance with eggs, or even to the consumption of raw animal products, as may be the case with meat and milk. The faecal excretion of Salmonella by human patients, wild and domesticated animal carriers, as well as the disposal of slaughter offal, sludge, slurry and manure contributes to an overall Salmonella spread in the environment. This may lead, by way of contamination of surface waters and colonisation of birds, rodents and insects, to the contamination of animal feeds or directly contribute to the re-colonisation of farm animals. In order to solve the problem of human salmonellosis, measures should be taken simultaneously on several levels. Since there are so many transmission ways, particularly in the environment and on the farm, isolated actions, such as the decontamination of animal feed, will never give lasting results. Likewise, the sole responsibility for the problem should never lie with the consumer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Animal Husbandry↗