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PubMed1976

Serological studies and isolations of serotype hardjo and Leptospira biflexa strains from horses of Argentina.

Three pathogenic leptosipras and 12 saprophytic Leptospira biflexa strains were isolated from 72 apparently normal horse kidneys collected at an abattoir in Argentina. Cross-agglutination reaction patterns of the pathogens showed that they were antigenically homologous with members of the Hebdomadis group. When one of the strains was compared to Hebdomadis serotypes in reciprocal agglutination-absorption tests, it was found to be serologically homologous to serotype hardjo. This is the first known report of an isolation of this serotype from horses. Serological tests were also carried out on randomly collected abattoir sera from 245 horses to determine the prevalence of equine leptospirosis. Significant antibody titers (1:100 or greater) were found in 74.6% of the sera. Predominant reactions occurred with the antigens pomona, hebdomadis group, pyrogenes, tarassovi, and canicola. Agglutination tests performed with antigen prepared with one of the saprophytic biflexa isolates showed seropositive reactions in 99.1% of the equine sera, with agglutination titers ranging from 1:100 to 1:3,200. Absorption of selected horse sera with the saprophytic strain removed the agglutinins to Leptospira interrogans serotypes. This suggests the possibility that L. biflexa strains may act as an antigenic stimulus and account for some of the persistent multiple cross-reaction patterns of equine sera with pathogenic serotypes.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed1995

Evaluation of the persistence of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus in pig carcases.

The presence of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus in pig meat was assessed in samples collected from experimentally infected pigs and from the carcases of pigs from infected herds at an abattoir. In the experimental study, pigs approximately six months old were inoculated with two isolates of PRRS virus and tissue samples were collected seven and 14 days after inoculation. At seven days, PRRS virus was recovered from lungs, tonsils, lymph nodes and muscle tissues, and viral antigens were detected by immunogold silver staining (IGSS) in formalin-fixed lungs, tonsils and scattered cells in muscle tissues. Neither PRRS virus nor antigens were detected in muscle tissue samples collected 14 days after inoculation. In the abattoir pigs, attempts were made to isolate PRRS virus from a total of 44 samples of muscle tissue, collected as pools, from the carcases of 44 pigs originating from seropositive herds. No PRRS virus could be isolated on porcine alveolar macrophages from these 44 muscle tissue samples and no PRRS virus antigens could be detected by IGSS in the formalin-fixed tissue samples. Although the results of experimental infections indicated that PRRS virus may be recovered from muscle tissues early after infection with the virus, the presence of PRRS virus in muscle tissues from carcases of slaughter pigs previously exposed to the PRRS virus could not be demonstrated.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed2006

Estimates of the prevalence of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in sheep and goats in France in 2002.

An active surveillance programme for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSES) in sheep and goats was implemented in France in 2002 at abattoirs and rendering plants. The analysis of the results of this programme highlighted three biases: a potentially non-random sampling scheme in both rendering plants and abattoirs, a heterogeneous geographical sampling ratio, and the use of two diagnostic tests of unequal sensitivity. Simulations were run to estimate the prevalence of TSES by taking these biases into account. A comparison of the prevalence of TSES calculated from the raw data with the simulation results showed that the effects of non-random sampling were minor in comparison with the effects of the heterogeneous geographical sampling ratio and the use of two diagnostic tests.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed2006

Hypospadias in rams.

In an abattoir survey conducted in south-west England, 15 of 6521 rams aged three to 12 months had hypospadias; in 27 others the scrotum was completely or partly divided, but they had no other abnormalities of the urinary or genital systems. The lesions observed in 11 of the rams in the abattoir survey, and in four young rams and one mature ram found during visits to farms, are described in detail. Five of them had periscrotal openings of the urethra and in the other 11 the openings were in a perineal position, close to the anus. In all of them the penis was underdeveloped, the prepuce had failed to fuse and the galea faced in a caudal direction. They all had completely or partially divided scrotums, and signs of urine scalding of the scrotum were visible.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed1975

Samonellosis and meat hygiene: red meat.

The association between salmonellosis in man and the infection in food animals has been clearly established. There is, moreover, little doubt that abattoir by-products, effluent and solid waste may allow the recycling of infection in animals. The potential hazard posed by salmonellosis to human and animal health will be reduced only by a greater control over the slaughter of infected farm livestock, improved isolation and casualty slaughter accommodation, a stricter control of slaughterhouse hygiene and the provision and full utilisation of adequate laboratory facilities for the bacteriological examination of meat and the abattoir environment.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed2026

Prevalence of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae in tonsils of domestic pigs and wild boars in Sweden.

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae (ER) causes erysipelas in multiple animal species and may persist in the environment or be carried asymptomatically. It is estimated that 30-50% of apparently healthy or convalescent pigs harbour ER in their tonsils and other lymphoid tissues. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of ER in the tonsils of healthy Swedish fattening pigs and wild boars. Tonsils were collected from 200 fattening pigs at slaughter from ten abattoirs across Sweden in 2017, with one pig per herd sampled. Wild boars (n = 180) were sampled during hunting, primarily in Östergötland County, in 2018. Cultures were performed using selective media and isolates were confirmed as ER by MALDI-TOF MS. ER was recovered from 6/200 pig tonsils (3.0%), all originating from three abattoirs in southern Sweden. ER was isolated from 76/167 (45.5%) of wild boar tonsils. Whole-genome sequencing revealed a high genetic diversity among the isolates with no dominant clones. Overall, these results indicate that Swedish pig husbandry, characterized by indoor rearing of fattening pigs, age-segregated rearing, sow vaccination, enhanced biosecurity, and restricted straw access largely prevents tonsillar colonization by ER aligning with the low occurrence of clinically diagnosed erysipelas in such herds. For wild boars, the high isolation rate suggests that wild boar could act as a reservoir and potential source of infection for domestic pigs. The potential zoonotic risk should also be considered.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Cysticercosis of slaughter cattle in southeastern Nigeria.

The incidence of cysticercosis due to Taenia saginata in both local and exotic breeds of cattle slaughtered for meat in southeastern Nigeria between November 1999 and April 2002 is reported. The examination of various organs of 25,800 cattle in 10 major abattoirs of this region showed that 6750 (26.2%) were infected with Cysticercus (C.) bovis. The prevalence rates varied from one abattoir to another while the rates of cysticercosis in local and exotic breeds varied significantly (P > 0.05). Sixty percent of all the infected animals had cysts. The tongue, cardiac, and masseter muscles were the main predilection sites of the cysts. Out of 11,720 male cattle, examined, 3215 (27.4%) had cysts of C. bovis while 160 (13.6%) of the 1180 female animals investigated were infected. There was an inverse relationship between the ages of the animals and prevalence of infection with C. bovis (r = -0.8743, P < 0.05). Monthly occurrence of the cysts in the animals revealed an upsurge of infected animals during the dry season. The epidemiology and epizootiology of Taenia saginata and C. bovis in relation to the veterinary service agencies and public health planners in southeastern Nigeria are highlighted.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed1996

Effect of halothane genotype, breed, feed withdrawal, and lairage on pork quality of belgian slaughter pigs.

A total of 434 Belgian Landrace (B) or Piétrain x B (PB) pigs, of known halothane genotype (NN, Nn, and nn), were slaughtered in a commercial abattoir. Pigs were either fed until loading or deprived of food overnight before delivery. Upon arrival at the abattoir, pigs were slaughtered after different lairage times (within 1 h after arrival, after 2 to 3 h lairage, or 4 to 5 h lairage). Meat quality traits were measured on the carcass, as well as on a piece of loin. Halothane genotype was the predominant factor determining meat quality traits related to the PSE condition (P < .001 for pH 40 min after death, internal reflectance, color L value; P < .01 for drip losses, transmission value). For these traits, nn pigs were always significantly different from Nn and NN pigs. Depending on the specific trait, Nn pigs were intermediate between NN and nn pigs, or close to NN pigs. For pH 40 min after death and drip losses, Nn and NN pigs were significantly different, whereas the difference between Nn and NN pigs was not significant for internal reflectance, color L value, and transmission value. Shear force and intramuscular fat content were apparently not related to the PSE condition and were not influenced by the halothane genotype (P > .05). Differences in meat quality between B and PB pigs and between gilts and barrows were rather unimportant compared with the effect of halothane genotype. Overnight feed withdrawal had no effect on meat quality (P > .05 for all PSE-related traits). On the other hand, holding pigs a few hours in lairage improved meat quality compared with immediate slaughtering (P < .05 for pH and temperature in the loin 40 min after death, internal reflectance, color L value, transmission value, drip losses). This effect was more pronounced in stress-susceptible pigs than in stress-resistant pigs.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed1998

Development of an in vivo method to study bovine intestinal response to dietary manipulation at the molecular level.

Our objective was to develop an in vivo method for analysis of nutrient-gene interactions in dairy cows at the molecular level. A series of techniques was applied to study the molecular response of cells in bovine small intestine to dietary manipulation. Three Holstein cows fitted with ruminal and duodenal cannulae were used for the investigation. As part of the validation of the procedure, lipid flow to the small intestine was manipulated using an abomasal infusion technique to study the expression of the gene encoding for the gastrointestinal hormone cholecystokinin (CCK). Biopsies (10 to 25 mg) were collected from the duodenum approximately 40 to 50 cm distal from the pyloric sphincter using a fiberoptic endoscope and biopsy forceps. Total RNA was isolated from the intestinal biopsies with yields of 20 to 50 microg. Cholecystokinin gene expression was analyzed in intestinal mucosa obtained from Holstein cows after slaughter either at a local abattoir or at our research facilities and compared with CCK gene expression in the biopsy samples collected from the cannulated animals. Using the technique of northern hybridization, we found that 15 microg of total RNA was sufficient to detect a strong CCK mRNA signal in the biopsy tissue samples, whereas 30 microg of total RNA showed a slightly weaker CCK mRNA signal in the postmortem duodenal tissues collected at our research facility. In contrast, the CCK mRNA signal in postmortem duodenal tissues obtained from cows slaughtered at the local abattoir was only barely detectable with 40 microg of total RNA. We conclude that the biopsy procedure is relatively noninvasive and is useful for monitoring intestinal responses to dietary manipulation and to physiological changes, such as those that occur during lactation and with metabolic disorders. The application of the method will provide insight into nutrient-gene interactions that occur in bovine intestinal mucosa.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed1998

The effect of dietary magnesium aspartate supplementation on pork quality.

Large White x Landrace boars (n = 48) were used to determine the effect of dietary magnesium aspartate supplementation (MgAsp) on subsequent stress and meat quality indicators. Dietary MgAsp supplementation increased plasma magnesium levels compared with pigs fed the control diet. Pigs fed the MgAsp-supplemented diet had lower norepinephrine concentrations at slaughter than pigs fed the control diet. Pigs fed the MgAsp-supplemented and the control diet had similar glycogen concentrations in the longissimus thoracis (LT) and biceps femoris (BF) muscle, whereas pigs fed the MgAsp-supplemented diet had lower lactic acid in the LT and BF muscle compared to pigs fed the control diet. Negative handling of pigs before slaughter reduced muscle glycogen in the LT and the BF muscle and increased the lactic acid levels in the LT and BF muscle compared to when pigs were minimally handled at the abattoir. Comparison of meat quality traits indicates that MgAsp supplementation to pigs raised the muscle pH in the LT muscle at 40 min and 24 h after slaughter. Pigs that were fed the MgAsp-supplemented diet had lower percentage of drip loss, lower surface lightness L, and had no PSE carcasses compared to pigs fed the control diet. Also, pigs that were fed the control diet and negatively handled at the abattoir before slaughter had the highest percentage of drip loss and incidence of PSE compared to other treatment groups. The results indicate that dietary MgAsp supplementation to pigs can significantly improve ultimate meat quality and reduce the incidence of PSE meat.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed2000

Feeding value of an enzymatically digested protein for early-weaned pigs.

Weanling pigs were used in a series of studies to determine the feeding value of an enzymatically digested protein product developed from a blend of swine and poultry abattoir by-products. The initial study used 156 pigs weaned at approximately 22 d of age to compare the product with menhaden fish meal in Phase II diets. The product supported equal growth rate, and there was no preference for diet exhibited based on inclusion level of the enzymatically digested protein product. The second study used 100 pigs weaned at approximately 21 d of age to compare the product with spray-dried animal blood cells in Phase II diets. The product supported a growth rate equal to that with the blood cells, and the combination of products enhanced growth rate (P<.05). The third study used 265 pigs to compare the product with spray-dried porcine plasma in a slope ratio growth assay. Results demonstrated a relative feeding value of 91% for the product over a 4-wk feeding period. The fourth study used 290 pigs to compare the product with spray-dried porcine plasma in Phase II diets; results demonstrated comparable growth performance. The final study used 180 pigs to compare the product with spray-dried porcine plasma in Phase I diets; results demonstrated comparable growth performance. These data indicate that the enzymatically digested abattoir by-product is a high-quality protein source for weanling pigs.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed1998

Repeatability of the Petrifilm HEC test and agreement with a hydrophobic grid membrane filtration method for the enumeration of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on beef carcasses.

The Petrifilm HEC test (3M Canada Inc., London, Ontario), a quantitative microbiological test for Escherichia coli O157:H7, was evaluated for its performance as a beef-carcass monitoring test. Test repeatability and agreement and agreement with an E. coli O157:H7 detection method using a hydrophobic grid membrane filter (HGMF) overlaid onto cefixime-tellurite-sorbitol MacConkey agar (CT-SMAC) followed by a latex agglutination test for the O157 antigen were determined by using pure cultures of E. coli O157:H7, beef samples experimentally contaminated with bovine feces containing E. coli O157:H7, and naturally contaminated beef carcasses of unknown E. coli O157:H7 status from a local abattoir. The Petrifilm HEC test showed excellent repeatability and excellent agreement with the HGMF-CT-SMAC method when test samples were obtained from pure cultures and experimentally contaminated meat. All 125 naturally contaminated beef carcasses surveyed were negative for E. coli O157:H7 with both microbial methods. The Petrifilm HEC test, however, demonstrated a significantly lower proportion of cross-reactive organisms (false-positive reactions) than the HGMF-CT-SMAC method. Given the performance of this test coupled with its ease of use and compact size, it shows considerable promise for carcass testing where abattoir laboratory facilities are limited and as a substitute for more complex laboratory testing methods used in established laboratories.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed1999

Reliability of an ordinal rating system for assessing the amount of mud and feces (tag) on cattle hides at slaughter.

A study was conducted to provide a quantitative description of the amount of tag (mud, soil, and bedding) adhered to the hides of feedlot beef cattle and to appraise the statistical reliability of a subjective rating system for assessing this trait. Initially, a single rater obtained baseline data by assessing 2,417 cattle for 1 month at an Ontario beef processing plant. Analysis revealed that there was a strong tendency for animals within sale-lots to have a similar total tag score (intralot correlation = 0.42). Baseline data were summarized by fitting a linear model describing an individual's total tag score as the sum of their lot mean tag score (LMTS) plus an amount representing normal variation within the lot. LMTSs predicted by the linear model were adequately described by a beta distribution with parameters nu = 3.12 and omega = 5.82 scaled to fit on the 0-to-9 interval. Five raters, trained in use of the tag scoring system, made 1,334 tag score observations in a commercial abattoir, allowing reliability to be assessed at the individual level and at the lot level. High values for reliability were obtained for individual total tag score (0.84) and lot total tag score (0.83); these values suggest that the tag scoring system could be used in the marketing and slaughter of Ontario beef cattle to improve the cleanliness of animals presented for slaughter in an effort to control the entry of microbial contamination into abattoirs. Implications for the use of the tag scoring system in research are discussed.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed1999

Antimicrobial resistance of bacterial flora associated with bovine products in South Africa.

The administration of subtherapeutic doses of antibiotics to livestock introduces selective pressures that may lead to the emergence and dissemination of resistant bacteria. This study determined the antibiotic-resistance spectra of the microbial flora found on freshly slaughtered and retail beef and in unpasteurized and pasteurized packaged milk. Staphylococci, Enterobacteriaeae, and isolates from total aerobic plate counts were tested for resistance to vancomycin, streptomycin, methicillin, tetracycline, and gentamicin using the disc diffusion susceptibility test and resistance to penicillin was determined by using oxacillin. A larger proportion of resistance to most antibiotics, except for vancomycin, was displayed by isolates from abattoir samples. The incidence of multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) pathogenic bacteria is also higher in the abattoir. Resistance genes lost because of lack of selective pressure or resistant flora being replaced by more sensitive flora during processing is the reason for the lower incidence of MAR pathogenic bacteria among retail samples. These resistant bacteria can be transferred to humans through the consumption of rare or raw beef and unpasteurized milk, thus rendering the resultant food-related infections difficult to treat. The present findings clearly demonstrate that antibiotic-resistant bacteria in beef and milk pose a serious problem in South Africa.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed2001

Microbiological meat quality in high- and low-capacity slaughterhouses in Sweden.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the bacterial count on beef and pork carcasses, a comparison being made between different-sized slaughterhouses in Sweden. Samples were taken from the flank and sternum of 200 beef and 200 pork carcasses, with half of the samples being collected from low-capacity slaughterhouses. Sampling was carried out at the end of the slaughter-line from 25 beef carcasses and/or 25 pork carcasses in each abattoir. Analyses were performed of the aerobic microorganisms, coliform bacteria, coagulase-positive staphylococci, and presumptive Escherichia coli. No significant differences were found in the amount of aerobic microorganisms between pork carcasses from low- and high-capacity slaughterhouses. In beef carcasses, however, there was a significantly greater amount of aerobic microorganisms in beef carcasses slaughtered at low-capacity slaughterhouses. Within the group of high-capacity abattoirs there was a very small variation in the amount of aerobic bacteria between the different slaughterhouses that could be explained by their having almost the same evisceration technique. The evisceration technique differs more among the low-capacity slaughterhouses, which is probably the main reason for the wide variation in the amount of aerobic bacteria. Coliform bacteria, coagulase-positive staphylococci, and presumptive E. coli were more common on pork carcasses than on beef carcasses. There were also significantly higher amounts of these bacteria in pork carcasses from the high-capacity slaughterhouses.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed2002

Frequency of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Turkish cattle.

In this study, five abattoirs in Istanbul were visited between January 2000 and April 2001. During these visits, 330 cattle were selected by a systematic sampling method. Cattle were examined clinically and breed, age, and sex were recorded. Rectal swabs were taken immediately after slaughter. Immunomagnetic separation was performed, and sorbitol-negative colonies were selected on sorbitol MacConkey agar with cefixime and tellurite (CT-SMAC agar). These colonies were checked for 4-methylenebelliferyl-beta-D-glucuronide, indol, rhamnose, and urease activity and motility. Serotypes of bacteria were determined by using antisera specific for Escherichia coli O157 and H7. All cattle selected were clinically healthy. Of 88 sorbitol-negative colonies selected on CT-SMAC agar, isolates from only 14 (4.2%) cattle reacted with anti-O157, and 13 of these isolates also reacted with anti-H7. E. coli O157:H7 was isolated from all breeds, but the numbers of isolates were largest for Holstein and Swiss Brown cows. E. coli O157:H7 was most frequently isolated from 2-year-old cattle. Similarly, it was most frequently isolated from male cattle. E. coli O157:H7 was isolated from cattle slaughtered in four of the five abattoirs studied.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed2003

Occurrence of verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli in dairy and meat processing environments.

From June 1999 to June 2000, 480 environmental swabs were collected from two abattoirs in Northern Ireland. In addition, from July 1999 to July 2000, 420 samples originating from raw cow's milk were collected from two Northern Ireland dairies. All samples were examined for the presence of verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC). O157 with the use of selective enrichment in tryptone soya broth (TSB) and double-strength MacConkey broth purple (MBP) followed by immunomagnetic separation and selective plating onto sorbitol MacConkey agar supplemented with cefixime tellurite. Non-O157 VTEC was detected by selective enrichment in TSB-MBP and plating on MacConkey agar. A multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay was also used to detect the presence of the VT1, VT2, and eae genes. Two (0.42%) of the 480 abattoir samples tested positive for VTEC; one isolate carried the VT2 gene only, and the other carried both the VT2 and the eae genes. Nine (2.14%) of the 420 dairy samples tested positive for VTEC; four carried the VT2 gene only, four carried both the VT2 and the eae genes, and one carried both the VT1 and the eae genes. These results indicate that the incidence of VTEC was low in the dairy and meat processing environment samples tested, and this finding may help to explain the low incidence of VTEC reported for the local human population.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed2005

Prevalence of Yersinia enterocolitica in fattening pigs.

The prevalence of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica in pig herds was monitored during six trials (at four different farrow-to-finisher farms). Samples were taken throughout the whole rearing period from birth of the piglets to the final fattening stage, and different samples were taken from these pigs during the slaughter process. Environmental samples also were evaluated to identify potential sources of on-farm infection. Y. enterocolitica was isolated using irgasan-ticarcillin-potassium chlorate broth enrichment and cefsulodin-irgasan-novobiocin agar culture. Colonies were identified using bio- and serotyping methods and by PCR assay. Pathogenic Y. enterocolitica were not isolated from fecal samples from piglets and weaners. The only fecal samples positive for Y. enterocolitica were obtained during the fattening stage. The prevalence of Y. enterocolitica in fattening pig herds ranged between 0 and 65.4%. Y. enterocolitica isolates were detected at the abattoir in 38.4% of the tonsils, in 3.8% of the ileocecal lymph nodes, on 0.3% of the carcass surfaces before chilling, and on 0% of the carcass surfaces after chilling. Almost all isolates belonged to bioserotype 4/O:3. Only one strain was identified as O:9. All isolates contained the ail gene. The yopT gene was found in 99.1% of the farm isolates but in only 76.6% of the isolates found at the abattoir from the corresponding carcasses. Although a direct link between porcine isolates and human infection has not been demonstrated, the similarity of the bioserotypes in infected pigs and humans and the presence of virulence factors in porcine isolates should encourage further studies to determine the risk of transmission of Y. enterocolitica to humans from pigs and pork products.

Abattoirs↗