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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2026

Potential dissemination and persistence of Clostridium perfringens along the slaughtering process in French cattle, pig or poultry slaughterhouses.

Clostridium perfringens is a major foodborne pathogen associated with meat products, yet its dissemination routes and persistence within slaughterhouses remain poorly understood. In this study, whole-genome sequencing combined with multilocus sequence typing (MLST), core genome MLST (cgMLST), and core single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis was applied to 286 C. perfringens isolates collected from cattle, pig, and poultry slaughterhouses in France. MLST analysis revealed extensive genetic diversity, with most isolates assigned to novel allelic profiles rather than previously described sequence types. Phylogenetic analyses based on cgMLST and SNP data revealed frequent recovery of closely related isolates from feces, meat, surfaces, and air, highlighting widespread dissemination of strains within slaughterhouses during processing. Notably, close genetic related isolates recovered from air and other sample types are consistent with air-associated dissemination within slaughterhouse environments. In addition, the detection of closely related strains across different sampling campaigns suggests the potential persistence of C. perfringens within slaughterhouse environments over time. Most isolates were classified as toxinotype A (97.9%), with a few belonging to toxinotypes D (1.0%) and G (1.0%), and in silico analyses revealed a broad distribution of virulence-associated genes. Antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) were commonly detected, particularly those conferring resistance to tetracyclines, although isolates carrying multiple ARGs remained infrequent. Overall, this study provides new insights into the genomic diversity, dissemination pathways, and persistence of C. perfringens in multi-species slaughterhouses. These findings highlight the potential role of air-associated dissemination in contamination dynamics and underscore the importance of improved hygiene control strategies to mitigate food safety risks along the meat production chain.

Antimicrobial resistance gene (ARG)↗
PubMed2026

Tigecycline-resistant Staphylococcus in waiting pens of a pig slaughterhouse: genomic insights into a food safety alert.

BACKGROUND: The waiting pens of slaughterhouses represent a critical control point in the 'farm-to-fork' continuum, yet their role in the emergence and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance remains understudied. This study investigated tigecycline-resistant Staphylococcus (TRS) in these high-risk zones to assess their prevalence, resistance mechanisms, and transmission dynamics. METHODS: 400 samples were collected from the waiting pens of a pig slaughterhouse in Guangzhou, China. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, whole-genome sequencing, phylogenetic analysis, and molecular cloning were employed to characterize resistance mechanisms and transmission patterns. RESULTS: 78 TRS strains were isolated and classified into three species, including S. borealis, S. ureilyticus, and S. pasteuri. These isolates exhibited multidrug-resistant phenotypes and carried new mutations in rpsJ and tet(M), which were functionally confirmed to reduce tigecycline susceptibility. Phylogenetic evidence demonstrated clonal transmission between pig farms and the slaughterhouse. The tet(M) gene was located within Staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec elements mediated by IS257, while tet(L) was carried by plasmids formed through IS256/IS257-mediated recombination. CONCLUSIONS: Waiting pens serve as crucial reservoirs for the amplification and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance. Our findings underscore the urgent need for enhanced biosecurity measures, improved waste management, and routine molecular surveillance in these high-risk zones to mitigate the spread of resistance along the food production chain.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

[Comparison of antibody titers against Aujeszky's disease virus in pig blood collected on the farm and in the slaughterhouse].

Antibody titres against Aujeszky's disease virus (ADV) in the plasma of slaughter pigs were compared with respect to the site of sampling, namely on the farm (one day before delivery to the slaughterhouse) and in the slaughterhouse during slaughter. No significant differences were noted in the antibody titres against ADV with respect to the different sampling sites. Blood samples collected at the slaughterhouse can be used for monitoring and surveillance systems within the framework of organised pig health care.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed1977

[Tentative organisation of disease recording in the poultry production. Collection and processing of condemnation results from 6 poultry slaughterhouses in Northern Jutland (author's transl)].

According to condemnation lists collected from 6 poultry slaughterhouses in northern Jutland there has been an increase in condemnation rate for broilers from 0.8 to 1.0% (Table I). The most important causes of condemnation have been emaciation, CRD, hock disorder and enteritis (Table II). Only a few slaughterhouses were involved in processing of hens, turkeys and web-footed birds showing inconstant distributions (Tables III and IV). Variation among slaughterhouses appears from Tables II-IV. The cause of variation and the value of central disease recording are discussed.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed1992

Antibodies against Yersinia among farmers and slaughterhouse workers.

Antibodies to immunoglobulins (Ig) M, G, and A against Yersinia enterocolitica serotypes O:3, O:5, O:8, and O:9 and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis serotypes I and III were analyzed by enzyme immunoassay of the serum samples of 161 slaughterhouse workers, 147 pig farmers, and 114 grain or berry farmers. The crude risk ratios for elevated serum antibody concentrations were calculated with the use of the grain and berry farmers as the reference population. The risk for an elevated Y enterocolitica O:3 Ig G concentration was 3.0 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.3-7.1) for the pig farmers and 1.8 (95% CI 0.7-4.4) for the slaughterhouse workers and the respective risks for elevated Y enterocolitica O:9 Ig G were 2.4 (95% CI 1.1-5.5) and 1.7 (95% CI 0.7-4.0). Since these two serotypes are commonly associated with swine, the increased number of subjects with elevated antibody levels could be causally related to occupational contact with this animal.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed1978

Some hygienic problems in the production of meat and bone meal from slaughterhouse offal and animal carcasses.

A study of uncut anthrax-infected slaughterhouse waste in the sterilizer of an animal destructor after the prescribed heating at 130 degrees C for 30 min showed that in 17 cases Bacillus anthracis was able to survive. The determination of z-values for B. anthracis and B. stearothermophilus showed that when slaughterhouse waste is cut up into pieces of no more that 50 g weight the temperature at the centre may lie between 120 degrees C for 20 min and 130 degrees C for 10 min for destruction of spore formers. The resulting animal meal is of improved protein quality by this treatment. These results and conclusions cannot be directly transferred to fat bath treatment of meat, because of the significant difference caused by the use of vapour pressure methods.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed1979

The occurrence of salmonella in waste water from Danish slaughterhouses. A quantitative study.

In waste water from 11 slaughterhouses, the occurrence of salmonellas were followed continually during a whole week. Thirty-eight samples out of 66 were contaminated. The mean concentrations of salmonellas varied between 0.9 and 668 per 100 ml. Only 4 different serotypes were found viz., S. agona, S. indiana, S. senftenberg, and S. typhimurium. This distribution of serotypes is incompatible with epidemiological data from humans, animals, and feed-stuffs. It is suggested that certain serotypes of Salmonella may become established in sewage systems of slaughterhouses or that propagation of salmonellas may take place in the sewer rats. In one particular plant, large numbers of S. senftenberg were found during the whole period of sampling. It is pointed out that discharge of such heavily polluted waste water into water courses may constitute a public health hazard if the recipient is used for irrigation of vegetables or pastures.

Abattoirs↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Resting behaviour of cattle in a slaughterhouse lairage.

One-hundred and thirty-five groups of cattle were observed in a slaughterhouse lairage. Groups of cattle that arrived direct from farms took longer to lie down and spent less time lying down than those that arrived from markets. In 72 groups, the majority of time was spent with no animals in the group lying down. In only 42 groups was the majority of the time spent with greater than one-half of the group lying down. In 97 groups, over three-quarters of the time in the lairage was spent with no cattle in the group moving. The proportion of time that cattle spent moving and lying down was also affected by the sexual composition of the group and also by group size. In cattle direct from farms, moving behaviour was greater in groups containing cattle with horns than in similar groups that did not contain cattle with horns.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed1975

Toxoplasma gondii and Coxiella burneti antibodies among Brazilian slaughterhouse employees.

Previous studies have indicated toxoplasmosis and Q fever are potential hazards to persons who handle raw meat or who work in slaughterhouses. The prevalence of antibodies to T. gondii and C. burneti was studied among 144 employees of an abattoir in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, to determine what environmental factors may be associated with the occurrence of these agents among persons who handle meat but who have not reported having toxoplasmosis or Q fever. Seventy-two per cent of the 144 employees were serologically positive to T. gondii and 29% were serologically positive for C. burneti. The highest prevalence of antibodies to T. gondii (92%) occurred among meat inspectors, who also had a geometric mean titer (GMT) of 1400. The prevalence levels of antibodies to T. gondii for employees who handled meat in the deboning and sausage departments were 80% and 79% with GMT's of 412 and 340, respectively. These levels exceeded the antibody prevalences of 60% and 65% and GMT's of 168 and 120 for employees who worked with cattle in the corrals or who worked on the killing floor, respectively. Conversely, the prevalence of antibodies to C. burneti was highest (40%) among employees working in the corrals and who were exposed to dust and hides. A similar prevalence of antibodies to C. burneti was found in employees on the killing floor (36% positive) who were exposed to hides and viscera, but employees handling meat in the deboning or sausage section had prevalence levels of 20% and 14% respectively. Serologic testing of zebu cattle processed at the abattoir indicated that 10% of 124 tested had antibodies to T. gondii and 29% of 156 tested had antibodies to C. burneti. These levels in cattle are probably adequate to expose (and infect) persons who process meat daily. Continuous daily exposures to chronically infected cattle may result in sporadic undiagnosed illnesses or seroconversions from subclinical infections.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed1977

Slaughterhouse condemnations for hind leg disease in cattle.

Hindlimb condemnations occurred in 0-11 per cent (194/173,580) of all cattle at a large Scottish slaughterhouse over a 22-month period. Cows and bulls were more frequently involved than steers or heifers. Gross pathology, studied in 42 cattle (21 per cent of the total condemned), revealed osteoarthritis of the stifle and hip respectively in 19 and 16 cases. The traumatic lesions included meniscal damage, anterior and other ligamentous rupture. The UK loss from such condemnation is estimated at over pounds200,000 in January 1977.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed1992

Menstrual-cycle characteristics and work conditions of workers in poultry slaughterhouses and canneries.

The food and agriculture industry employs 14.6% of the female industrial work force in France. Workers are exposed to a variety of environmental and organizational constraints (eg, irregular schedules, cold, uncomfortable postures, repetitive movements). In 1987-1988 a medical examination and questionnaire were administered to 726 workers with menstrual periods in 17 poultry slaughterhouses and six canning factories. Anomalies (irregular cycles, amenorrhea, long cycles) during the previous year were associated with work conditions. After adjustment for relevant nonoccupational variables, irregular cycles were significantly related to schedule variability and cold exposure, amenorrhea was associated with cold exposure, and long cycles with schedule variability. Other parameters such as repetitive work, standing posture, lifting weights, job satisfaction, and hours of domestic work were not associated with cycle anomalies. Cycle anomalies may be a useful indicator of occupational effects on female reproduction, analogous to the use of sperm parameters to warn of effects on male workers.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed1979

[Season-related incidence of Yersinia enterocolitica in fecal material of healthy slaughterhouse pigs (author's transl)].

In the period July 1976 to June 1977 a total of 1358 fecal specimens and 165 mesenteric lymphnodes of healthy slaughterhouse pigs were examined for Yersinia enterocolitica (Y.e.). The animals originated from 215 farms in 86 localities of Northern Bavaria. Y.e. was found in fecal specimens of 371 pigs (27.3%). A total of 408 strains was isolated including 35 double and one triple infections. Most cultures belonged to serogroups O:6...(186 strains), O:7...(78 strains), and O:5...(71 strains, Table 3). The serogroups O:3 and O:9 which in Europe are most frequently associated with human disease were isolated from 26 animals (1.9%). Lymphnodes were positive in two instances only (1.2%). Besides aerobic subculture on SS-agar after cold enrichment in phosphate buffered saline anaerobic incubation was performed simultaneously during the last 8 months of the study. This method rendered more than twice as many isolations due to an effective inhibition of environmental bacteria with oxidative metabolism (mainly Pseudomonas spp.; Tables 3 and 4). The incidence of asymptomatic infections was markedly related to season. The lowest incidence was observed during the summer months (August 1976:0%) but increased steadily to a maximum in April 1977 (71.2%; Table 4). With one exception the serogroups O:3 and O:9 were only isolated during October to December (Fig. 1). Despite the frequent occurrence of Y.e. in healthy pigs the significance of these animals for human yersiniosis remains to be clarified. Especially the frequency of disease in infants and young children would not suggest porc meat as an important vehicle of transmission. It is imaginable that the human pathogenic serogroups O:3 and O:9 might be simultaneously adapted to several hosts with independent cycles of infection. Future investigations will mainly have to consider the elucidation of the hitherto unknown mode of transmission of human yersiniosis.

Abattoirs↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Slaughterhouse waste waters and their influence on epidemiology (author's transl)].

A survey was carried out in 1972 and 1973 on the microbial composition of town, hospital and slaughterhouse waste waters. The investigation concerned concentration of heterotrophic bacteria, germ tests, of faecal contamination, and of the following pathogenic bacteria: Salmonella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus.

Abattoirs↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Observations on genital abnormalities in dairy cows using slaughterhouse material.

The investigated material consisted of the sexual organs of 2010 cows, collected at a slaughterhouse during the years of 1971--74. The organs were examined macroscopically, with special regard to the ovaries, ovarian bursae, oviducts, and the uterus. The genital tract was cut open and examined for anomalies and other pathological changes. The results are presented in Tables I--IV. The total frequency of abnormalities within the investigated material was 18.2%. The most common disease condition was cystic degeneration of the ovary (8.6%). Bursal adhesions, parovarian cysts, and various forms of cervical anomalies constituted respectively 2.7, 2.3, and 1.7 per cent of the cases. The percentage of genital abnormalities as a cause of infertility was estimated to 1.5. The results have been compared with those of similar investigations.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed1978

Gut eczema in slaughterhouse workers.

In Danish bacon factories workers eviscerating and cleansing gut casings commonly develop a vesicular eczema starting in the finger webs, from where it spreads to the sides of the fingers. The eruption is called "gut eczema" or "fat eczema" by the workers. It is self-limiting, lasts for 1--2 weeks, and can recur at intervals of months or years. The etiology is unknown. Prick tests with extracts of ascaris and several organs of the pigs were negative.

Abattoirs↗