Lung Condemnation Research Articles

Inflicting Significant Losses in Slaughtered Animals: Exposing the Hidden Effects of Parasitic Infections.

We started a campaign in the heart of Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan, to expose the hidden threats of parasitic illnesses in ruminants and the severe financial consequences associated with them. Our in-depth investigations focused on the prevalence, impact, and astounding financial losses brought on by organ contamination in slaughtered animals. Of the 384 slaughtered ruminants examined for gastrointestinal parasites, a prevalence of 44.79% was recorded. It is interesting to note that we found no conclusive association between parasitic infection and the various ruminant species under study (p > 0.05). However, goats (52.0%) had the highest numerical prevalence of parasitic infection, followed by cattle (46.1%), buffalo (46.0%), and sheep (34.7%) in that order. A significant finding (p < 0.05) showed that the majority of animals had light parasitism (46.5%), as opposed to those with moderate (30.2%) or severe loads (23.2%). Our research revealed substantial (p < 0.05) relationships between ruminant age, sex, and parasitic infection prevalence. In comparison to females (56.4%) and adults (48.1%), males (36.1%) and young (36.9%) ruminants showed considerably decreased infection rates (p < 0.05). On the other hand, we discovered a non-significant (p > 0.05) association between the months and the prevalence of parasitic infection. As a result of the condemnation of contaminated organs such as the rumen, lungs, and liver, an estimated financial loss of PKR 133,731,400 (USD = 466,939.2) was incurred. The yearly economic losses caused by liver condemnation were much greater than those caused by rumen and lung condemnation (p < 0.05). Our research not only reported a significantly higher abundance but also economic threats of the parasitic diseases among the slaughtered animals in Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan. Our findings highlighted the critical need for preventive and therapeutic interventions for parasitic infections in animals, in order to mitigate the economic losses through strengthened animal health.

Occurrence of Gross Lesions and Cysts on the Lungs of Cattle Slaughtered At the Asella Municipal Abattoir, Ethiopia

A total of 384 randomly selected cattle were examined for the presence of gross lesions and cysts, according to standard inspection procedures for developing countries. Out of the total 384 male cattle presented for slaughter, 303 (79.3%) of the lungs of cattle had different gross lesions and cysts. Hydatid cyst (40.9%), emphysema (15.4%), congestion (12.2%) and calcification were the major gross lesions and cysts found in the lungs. Cattle with an older age (OR = 1.74; 95% CI = 1.10–2.78; p = 0.018) and a poor body condition score (OR = 6.10; 95% CI = 2.29–16.59; p = 0.001) were more likely to have hydatidosis and calcified cysts than cattle with a younger age and a good body condition score. Furthermore, emphysema and congestion were more common in crossbred cattle (OR = 2.57; 95%CI = 1.19–5.28; p = 0.012) and younger cattle (OR = 2.87; 95%CI = 1.40–5.83; p = 0.004), respectively. The hydatid cyst was the most common cyst and the cause of lung condemnation in the Asella municipal abattoir. Therefore, better meat inspection procedures, proper lung disposal systems, and preventing the entrance of stray dogs to the abattoir would reduce the prevalence and transmission of diseases to humans.

Prevalence of Lung Lesions in Imported Cattle Slaughtered at Abu Simble Abattoir, Egypt

A retrospective study of imported cattle slaughtered at Abu Simble Abattoir, Aswan, Egypt was conducted to determine the main causes of lung condemnation. The economic importance was estimated. During the study, a total number of 81452 slaughtered and investigated male cattle for a period of one full year (December 2018 to December 2019). All the condemned organs were lungs (n=9172; 11.26%) and had pathological lesions. The principal cause of lungs condemnation was pneumonia (47.4%), followed by congestion (28.2%), adhesions (22.1%) and abscesses (2.4%). Lungs histopathological examination recorded different inflammatory reactions with different types of pneumonia, bronchopneumonia, interstitial pneumonia, broncho-interstitial pneumonia, fibrinous pneumonia, hemorrhagic pneumonia, and suppurative pneumonia. The present work concluded that a serious problem may develop due to lung diseases/lesions which have negative effect to the livestock industry, in addition to the public health importance of zoonotic diseases.

Prevalence of Some Zoonotic Parasitic Affections in Sheep Carcasses in a Local Abattoir: In Cairo, Egypt

Meat-borne zoonotic parasites raised from consumption of undercooked and/or crossly contaminated meats can infect human by direct and/or indirect ways causing many mild to serious diseases; so in the present study, some meat-borne transmissible parasites were investigated in 5239 freshly dressed sheep carcasses in local Egyptian abattoir located at Cairo governorate along the period of 2017-2018. Results of Post- Mortem inspection revealed the detection of Fasciola, Cysticercus and Hydatid cyst in 3.47, 1.06 and 1.83% of the total examined carcasses with total economic losses of 9306.78 L.E, 2892 L.E and 4380 LE, respectively. It is worthily noted that fascioliasis recorded the highest incidence of infection, followed by hydatidosis and cysticercosis in the examined carcasses, respectively. Cysticercus ovis and C. tenuicollis were detected in 32.14% and 67.85% with total economic losses of 714 L.E and 2178 L.E because of infected heart and liver condemnation during 2017 and 2018, respectively. Furthermore, hydatid cyst was detected in 0.47% and 1.35% of the examined lung and liver samples with total economic losses of 1188 L.E and 3192 L.E because of infected lung and liver condemnation during 2017 and 2018, respectively. Referring to the obtained results, it was obvious that parasitic infection of sheep meat and offal constrains a lot of economic losses, threatens the meat production industry and throws lights over the health importance of veterinary inspection great role in protecting human-being from be infested with zoonotic meat-borne parasites. So, magnification and great support should be given to training veterinary inspectors in slaughter houses in Egypt.

Prevalence of some zoonotic parasitic affections in sheep carcasses in a local abattoir in Cairo, Egypt

Meat-borne zoonotic parasites raised from consumption of undercooked and/or crossly contaminated meats can infect human by direct and/or indirect ways causing many mild to serious diseases; so, in the present study, some meat-borne transmissible parasites were investigated in 5239 freshly dressed sheep carcasses in local Egyptian abattoir located at Cairo governorate along the period of 2017-2018. Results of Post- Mortem inspection revealed the detection of Fasciola, Cysticercus and Hydatid cyst in 3.47, 1.06 and 1.83% of the total examined carcasses with total economic losses of 9306.78 L. E, 2892 L.E and 4380 LE, respectively. It is worthily noted that fascioliasis recorded the highest incidence of infection, followed by hydatidosis and cysticercosis in the examined carcasses, respectively. Cysticercus ovis and C. tenuicollis were detected in 32.14% and 67.85% with total economic losses of 714 L.E and 2178 L.E because of infected heart and liver condemnation during 2017 and 2018, respectively. Furthermore, hydatid cyst was detected in 0.47% and 1.35% of the examined lung and liver samples with total economic losses of 1188 L.E and 3192 L.E because of infected lung and liver condemnation during 2017 and 2018, respectively. Referring to the obtained results, it was obvious that parasitic infection of sheep meat and offal constrains a lot of economic losses, threatens the meat production industry and throws lights over the health importance of veterinary inspection great role in protecting human-being from be infested with zoonotic meat-borne parasites. So, magnification and great support should be given to training veterinary inspectors in slaughter houses in Egypt.

Parasitic causes of meat and organs in cattle at four slaughterhouses in Sistan-Baluchestan Province, Southeastern Iran between 2008 and 2016.

This 8‐year (from 2008 to 2016) retrospective study calculated the percentage of carcass and organ (lung and liver) condemnations and estimated the direct financial costs at four slaughterhouses in Sistan‐Baluchestan Province, Southeastern Iran. Each carcass and organ (lung and liver) was thoroughly examined through inspection, palpation and incision following the standard protocol. Identification of the parasites was performed macroscopically. The total direct economic loss due to meat's condemnation was estimated by adding weights of each organ or carcass part and multiplying individual organ totals by their 2016 market unit price. A total of 857,039 cattle were slaughtered during this period, 64,497 livers (7.5%), 31,401 lungs (3.6%) and the carcasses of 1,171 cattle (0.1%) were condemned due to lesions caused by parasites. The main parasitic lesions in the condemned livers were attributed to Echinococcus granulosus (4.2%), Fasciola spp. (3.1%) and Dicrocoelium dendriticum (0.1%). All the condemned lungs were due to E. granulosus (3.6%). Taenia saginata cysticerci were detected in 0.1% of inspected animals. Liver condemnation due to cystic echinococcosis was the highest in fall (4.7%, p < 0.001); while lung condemnation was the highest during spring (3.98%, p < 0.001). Liver condemnation due to Fasciola spp. was the lowest in winter (2.99%, p < 0.001). Carcass condemnation as a result of cysticercosis was the highest in summer (p < 0.001). Considering the 2016 market prices, condemnations due to the studied parasites caused direct costs estimated U.S. $ 3,191,879. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report estimating the monetary losses due to parasitic infections in the slaughterhouses of this province. Due to the high financial impact of the studied parasites, a control programme should be implemented to decrease this impact.

Causes, dynamics and financial losses associated with red offal condemnation at a beef abattoir in Namibia

There are limited studies on red offal condemnations and their financial implications at high throughput abattoirs in Namibia. Causes of condemnation, temporal distributions and financial losses associated with red offal condemnations at a beef abattoir in Namibia from 2016 to 2018 were determined. A total of 39157 red offal valued at N$6 422 586.00 (US$364 805) were condemned following the slaughter of 251697 cattle. Condemnations were dependent on the year [X 2 (14) = 587.13, p&lt;0.001], month [X 2 (77) = 1898.72, p&lt;0.001] and season [X 2 (7) = 111.12, p&lt;0.001] of study. Overall, 2016 had the most and 2018 the least condemnation of red offal (38.73% and 23.22%, respectively; p&lt;0.05). Most red offal condemnations (13.34%, p&lt;0.001) occurred in June, with livers and lungs as the most condemned organs (54.32% and 29.88%, respectively; p&lt;0.001). The highest condemnations were caused by miscellaneous causes (such as abscesses and hematomas) followed, in descending order, by inflammatory, parasitic and bacterial causes and contaminations (38.3%, 29.4%, 16.6% and 15.8%, respectively, p&lt;0.05). Liver condemnations varied with the year and season under study [X 2 (20) = 1834.02, p&lt;0.001 and X 2 (9) = 1010.43, p&lt;0.001; respectively], as were lung condemnations according to pathological condition [X 2 (12) = 492.43, p&lt;0.001 and X 2 (6) = 45.84, p&lt;0.001; respectively]. The occurrence of hydatidosis in the summer and pneumonia in winter were greater than expected (15.1% and 4.3%; respectively, p&lt;0.05). A substantial loss of revenue to the abattoir due to the condemnation of livers and lungs was determined. Meat inspection served as a control point for hydatidosis.

A Retrospective Study of Carcass and Organ Condemnations at a Beef Abattoir in Namibia

AIM/BACKGROUND: This retrospective study investigated the causes of beef carcass and organ condemnations and the associated financial losses at a high throughput abattoir in Katima Mulilo, Namibia from 2009 to 2013. METHODS: Post-mortem meat inspection records from September 2009 to July 2013 that were kept at the abattoir were analysed. RESULTS: Of the 26,957 cattle slaughtered during the study period, 59 whole carcasses, 13,884 livers, 13,161 lungs, 406 hearts, 33 kidneys, 265 pluck, 563 spleens, 163 heads, 160 tongues and 79 intestines were condemned. Whole carcasses were condemned mainly due to generalized Cysticercus bovis cysts (40.7%) and cachexia (39%). Among the organs, livers (51.5%) and lungs (48.8%) had the highest levels of condemnation. Liver flukes and hydatid cysts were responsible for most of the liver condemnations (65% and 17.1%, respectively), while hydatid cysts (63.4%) and abscesses (15.4%) were responsible for most of the lung condemnations. Fecal contamination (68.7%) and pericarditis (19.7%) were identified as a major cause of heart condemnations. Fecal contamination (43.6%, 32.5%), abscesses (41.7%, 45%) and C. bovis cysts (14.7%, 15%) were responsible for head and tongue condemnations, respectively. About 7.5% of the tongues were also condemned for floor contamination. Abscesses (49.4%), C. tenuicollis cysts (34.2%), nodular worm (13.9%) and floor contamination (2.5%) were responsible for condemnations of intestines. Fecal contamination (98.4%), floor contamination (0.9%) and splenitis (0.7%) were responsible for condemnations of spleens. Nephritis was the only recorded reason for the condemnation of kidneys. Total monetary losses due to carcass and organ condemnations over the study period were estimated at US$143,711.08. Although there was a 0.2% proportional condemnation of whole carcasses, these were responsible for 17.5% of the revenue losses (US$25,149.44). About 65.0% and 30.5% of the rest of the revenue losses were due to liver and lung condemnations, respectively. The rest of the causes were collectively responsible for only 3.71% of the overall revenue losses. Zoonotic parasites, C. bovis, fasciolosis and hydatid cysts were identified as the major causes of carcass and organ condemnations constituting a major public health concern. CONCLUSION: Considering the size of the local economy, the revenue losses due to carcass and organ condemnations were quite high. This necessitates education of the stakeholders and the general public on the health and economic implications conveyed by this study.

Major causes of organ and carcass condemnation and associated financial losses in cattle slaughtered at Kombolcha ELFORA abattoir from 2008-2012, Ethiopia

The purpose of this study was to investigate the major causes of organ and/or carcass condemnation and to estimate the financial loss encountered in cattle slaughtered at ELFORA abattoir. The study is based on retrospective analysis of five year data record at slaughter house cattle ( n =21864) and active abattoir survey involving pre and postmortem inspection of 1200 cattle conducted from October 2013 to April 2014. From a total of 23,064 slaughtered cattle, both during retrospective and cross-sectional studies, 15,971 (69.2%) had one or more than one type of abnormalities that lead to organ and/or carcass condemnation. Of these 67.7%, 40.3%, 38.8%, 23.0%, 19.9%, 7.0% and 5.0% were accounted to pathologies attributed to liver, kidney, lung, spleen, heart, tongue and heads condemnation, respectively. Liver was the most commonly condemned organ due to zoonotic parasites (32.8%), which include Fasciola species, Cysticercus bovis and Cystic echinococcosis . Parasites were the major causes of organs particularly liver, lung and heart condemnation. Carcass condemnation was mainly attributed to TB and TB like lesions, oedema, abscess and Cysticercus bovis . Overall, the total economic loss incurred due to organ and carcass condemnation was estimated to reach 3,522,005.00 Ethiopian Birr during the study period. Hence, awareness creation through animal health extension work and treatment of sick animal will play key role in reducing the loss. Implementation of detailed meat inspection at the abattoir is recommended. Also further study to identify the causative agents of abscess; and to characterize hydatid cysts, and causes of tubercle like lesions will be important for designing control strategy. Keywords: Carcass; Condemnation; ELFORA; Fasciolosis; Hydatid cyst; Organ; Ethiopia

National Beef Quality Audit-2016: Transportation, mobility, and harvest-floor assessments of targeted characteristics that affect quality and value of cattle, carcasses, and by-products.

The National Beef Quality Audit-2016 (NBQA-2016) was conducted to assess current transportation, mobility, and quality characteristics of U.S. fed steers and heifers. Data were collected at 17 beef processing facilities between March and November 2016. About 8,000 live cattle were evaluated for transportation and mobility, and about 25,000 carcasses were evaluated on the slaughter floor. Cattle were in transit to the slaughter facility for a mean duration of 2.7 h from a mean distance of 218.5 km using trailers with dimensions ranging from 17.84 m2 to 59.09 m2. Area allotted per animal averaged 1.13 m2 and ranged from 0.85 m2 to 2.28 m2. A total of 96.8% of cattle received a mobility score of 1 (walks easily, no apparent lameness). Identification types (35.1% had multiple) were lot visual tags (61.5%), individual tags (55.0%), electronic tags (16.9%), metal-clip tags (9.2%), bar-coded tags (0.05%), wattles (0.01%), and other (2.6%). Cattle were black-hided (57.8%), Holstein (20.4%), red-hided (10.5%), yellow-hided (4.8%), gray-hided (2.9%), brown-hided (1.3%), and white-hided (1.1%). Unbranded hides were observed on 74.3% of cattle; 18.6% had brands located on the butt, 6.3% on the side, and 1.3% on the shoulder (values exceed 100% due to multiple brands). For hide-on carcasses, 37.7% displayed no mud or manure; specific locations for mud or manure were legs (40.8%), belly (33.0%), tail region (15.5%), side (6.8%), and top-line (3.9%). Cattle without horns represented 83.3% of the sample, and cattle that did have horns measured: < 2.54 cm (5.5%), 2.54 to 12.7 cm (8.3%), and > 12.7 cm (2.9%). Carcasses without bruises represented 61.1% of those sampled, whereas 28.2% had 1, 8.2% had 2, 2.1% had 3, and 0.3% had 4 bruises. Of those carcasses with a bruise, the bruise was located on the loin (29.7%), round (27.8%), chuck (16.4%), rib (14.4%), and brisket/plate/flank (11.6%). Frequencies of offal condemnations were livers (30.8%), lungs (18.2%), viscera (16.3%), hearts (11.1%), heads (2.7%), and tongues (2.0%). Compared to NBQA-2011, fewer cattle were identified for traceability, fewer were black-hided, a greater number were Holstein cattle, more with no brand and no horns, fewer without bruises, more liver, lung, and viscera condemnations, and fewer heads and tongues were condemned. The NBQA remains an influential survey for the U.S. beef industry to provide benchmarks and strategic plans for continued improvement of beef quality and consistency.

Major Cause of Organ and Carcass Condemnation in Apparently Healthy Small Ruminant Slaughtered at Addis Ababa Abattoir Enterprise, Ethiopia

Study was conducted from November 2008 to March 2009 to determine the major causes of organ and carcass condemnation and associated annual magnitude of financial loss at Addis Ababa abattoir enterprise. Out of 1052 examined sheep and goats 459 (43.6%) livers, 307 (29.18%) lungs, 130 (12.36%) Hearts, 108 (20.27%) kidney and 28 (2.66%) carcass were condemned. The major causes of condemnation were parasite 52.24%, cirrhosis (11.2%), hepatitis (9.2%) and mechanical damage (8.12%) for liver; pneumonia (32.2%), emphysema (19.5%) and hydatidosis (15.9%) for lung; pericarditis (43.07%), calcification (17.7), Abscess (5.4%), Cysticercus ovis (8.4%) and other (25.4%) for heart; nephritis (30.5%) for kidneys, abscess (50%), bruising (29%) and other causes for carcasses. Rate of condemnation due to hydatidosis was higher in the lungs (4.3% in sheep and 5.0% in goats) than in the liver (3.3% in sheep and 3.4% in goats) significant higher rate of liver, lung, heart, kidney and carcass condemnation were not observed between age groups (p>0.05), but significantly higher rate of organ and carcass condemnation were observed with in sex group of sheep (P 0.05). Total annual loss due to organ and carcass condemnation was estimated one million Ethiopian Birr (90909.09 USD). Result of the present work warrant immediate need for the prevention of causes of organ and carcass condemnation and pathological abnormalities through development of and animal health delivery, enforcement of slaughter policy, education of sheep and goat traders, and training of slaughter house personnel on standard slaughter operations.

English

The study was conducted from November, 2013 to March, 2014 at Hawassa municipal abattoir, Southern Ethiopia with the aim of identifying the major causes of liver and lung condemnation and assessing possible risk factors associated with organ condemnation. Standard ante-mortem and post-mortem procedures were followed throughout the study and abnormalities were recorded. A total of 399 cattle were considered for ante mortem and post-mortem examination by systematic random sampling technique. In ante mortem inspection the most commonly encountered abnormalities were 3 (0.75%) lameness, 4 (1%) nasal discharge, 2 (0.5%) skin lesions and 4 (1%) rough hair coat. During post mortem inspection, 224 (56.1%) of lungs were condemned due to hydatidosis, calcification, emphysema and marbling and 207 (51.8%) of livers were condemned due to fasciolosis, hydatidosis, calcification, hardening and haemorrhage. The condemnation rate of lung with respect to each risk factor was found to be 35.3, 0.78, 9.7 and 10% for hydatidosis, calcification, emphysema and marbling, respectively. The condemnation rate of liver with respect to each risk factor was also found to be 20.5, 17.2, 4.2, 10.2 and 0.5% for fasciolosis, hydatidosis, hardening, calcification and hemorrhage, respectively. The study indicated that hydatidosis (35.5%) for lung and fasciolosis (20.7%) for liver were the major cause of condemnation, respectively. Many risk factors such as age, body condition, origin and breed of animal determined liver and lung condemnation rate. But among these only body condition showed statistically significant difference (x2= 11.524, P=0.003) with condemnation rate of each organ. The results of this study showed that condemnation of liver and lungs at the abattoir is very high, thereby preventive measure need to be designed to overcome further loss by applying appropriate treatment control and preventive measures of slaughter animals. Key words: Abattoir, cattle, condemnation, Hawassa, liver, lungs, municipal.

Prevalence of lung lesions in slaughtered cattle in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.

Information obtained from abattoirs on the causes of lung condemnation is important in preventing the spread of zoonotic diseases and for promoting food security. In this study, we assessed the causes of lung condemnation in cattle at three abattoirs represented as ANA, QTA and EBA to evaluate the financial losses associated with lung condemnation. A retrospective study (n = 51 302) involving the use of abattoir slaughter records of 2010–2012 and an active abattoir survey (n = 1374) was conducted from July to December 2013. The retrospective study revealed the main causes of lung condemnation as pneumonia (1.09%, 2.21% and 0.77%), emphysema (1.12%, 1.14% and 1.1.6%) and abscessation (0.71%, 1.06% and 0.77%), from ANA, QTA and EBA, respectively. The combined monetary loss because of lung condemnation during the period 2010 to 2012 was estimated as ZAR 85 158 (USD 7939) for the abattoirs surveyed. Conversely, during the active abattoir survey, agonal emphysema (15%, 15% and 23%) and improper eviscerations with faecal contamination (10%, 38% and 42%) were the major factors that led to lung condemnation at ANA, QTA and EBA, respectively. Other causes of lung condemnations were haemorrhage (10%) for QTA and pleurisy (12%) for EBA. The weight loss of lungs during the active abattoir survey was 6450 kg, while the associated monetary loss was estimated as ZAR 29 025 (USD 2706). This study identified major causes of lung condemnation as pleuritis, improper evisceration, pneumonia, abscesses, haemorrhages and lung worms and their associated monetary losses. The results of this study may be useful as baseline data for future comparison in similar surveys, for tracking of some zoonotic diseases affecting lungs and for further research in the Eastern Cape Province or other provinces of South Africa.

Study on the Association between Tail Lesion Score, Cold Carcass Weight, and Viscera Condemnations in Slaughter Pigs.

The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between tail lesions, cold carcass weight, and viscera condemnations in an Irish abattoir. The following data were collected at the evisceration point from every third pig slaughtered over 7 days: farm identification, sex, tail lesion score, viscera inspection outcome, and cold carcass weight. Tail lesions were scored according to a 5-point scale. Disease lesions responsible for lung (pleurisy, pneumonia, and abscess), heart (pericarditis), and liver (ascariasis) condemnation were recorded based on the decision of the veterinary inspector (VI). Data on 3,143 pigs from 61 batches were available. The relationship between disease lesions, tail lesion score, and cold carcass weight was studied at individual carcass level, while the relationship between disease lesions and tail lesion score was studied at both carcass and batch level. Tail lesions (score ≥1) were found in 72% of the study population, with 2.3% affected by severe tail lesions (scores ≥3). Pleurisy (13.7%) followed by pneumonia (10.4%) showed the highest prevalence, whereas the prevalence of ascariasis showed the greatest variation between batches (0–75%). Tail lesion score, pleurisy, pleuropneumonia, and pericarditis were associated with reductions in carcass cold weight (P ≤ 0.05) ranging from 3 to 6.6 kg. Tail lesion score was associated with condemnations for pleurisy, pneumonia, and pleuropneumonia (P ≤ 0.05) at a batch level. VI shift was associated with condemnations for pneumonia, pleuropneumonia, and pericarditis (P ≤ 0.05) at a carcass level and with pneumonia at a batch level. Sex was not associated with viscera condemnations but males were more likely to be affected by tail lesions. The relationship between overall tail lesion score and the lung diseases at batch level supports the relationship between poor health and poor welfare of pigs on farms. The inclusion of tail lesion scores at post-mortem meat inspection should be considered as a health and welfare diagnostic tool.

A Retrospective Study on the Major Causes of Meat Condemnations in Animals Slaughtered in Juba County South Sudan.

A 5-year retrospective study was conducted in Juba County South Sudan to identify major causes of meat condemnations in slaughtered animals. A total of 14,062 indigenous and exotic cattle breeds, 4,443 sheep and 6,789 goats of both sexes and different age groups were recorded. Data were collected and analyzed using the IBM SPSS 21 compatible to Microsoft Window. Association of loss in the animals was analyzed using the Non-Parametric Chi-square test. Graphic presentations were made using Excel Window version 10. Parasitic infections showed significant difference (P<0.05) as major causes of meat condemnations compared to other causes. Bovine fasciolosis due to Fasciola gigantica in indigenous Nilotic zebu cattle showed a significant difference (P<0.05) for liver condemnation (79.02%) compared to exotic Ankole cattle breed. Lung condemnations were mainly due to contagious bovine pluropneumonia (69.85%). Hydatid cysts accounted for 64.52% of spleen condemnations. This study explores the major meat-borne diseases in Juba County which could be utilized for developing strategies for prospective control of such diseases in South Sudan. Further proficiency tests are needed for adequate meat inspection and hygiene in Juba County, South Sudan.

Study on gross pulmonary lesions in lungs of slaughtered animals and their economic importance in Tigray, Ethiopia

A cross-sectional epidemiological study on slaughtered cattle at Mekelle abattoir, Northern Ethiopia, was conducted from November 19, 2008 to February 21, 2009 to investigate the distribution and risk factors of pulmonary lesions. The pulmonary lesions and diseases were diagnosed on the basis of pathological findings. Out of the 1,148 slaughtered cattle examined, 990 (86.2%) had one or more lesions. The prevalence of pulmonary lesions in the slaughtered cattle varied among categories of the study variables. The most common lesions were congestion (38.5%), emphysema (36.3%), hydatidosis (18.3%), abscesses (7.1%) and verminous pneumonia (3.2%). The risk factors identified on statistical basis (p 7 years) and very lean cattle in pulmonary emphysema and pulmonary abscesses and young age (<7 years) in verminous pneumonia. A total of 990 lungs (86.2%) were condemned or partially trimmed due to pulmonary lesions with an economic loss of 7,920 Ethiopian Birrs (ET Birr). This loss was calculated from the mean retail local market price of cattle lung and the total number of lungs condemned during the study period. Annual economic lose due to lung condemnation, determined by considering annual slaughter rate of cattle and prevalence of lung lesions in the abattoir, was estimated to be 65,000 ET Birr (US$). Keywords : Pulmonary lesions, Cattle, Abattoir, Economic loss, Ethiopia.

A retrospective survey of hydatidosis based on abattoir data in Kermanshah, Iran from 2008 to 2013.

A retrospective study was carried out from 2008 to 2013 to estimate the prevalence of hydatidosis in ruminants slaughtered at the Kermanshah municipal abattoir, in western Iran. A total number of 663,633 livestock (393,585 sheep, 81,080 goats and 188,968 cattle) slaughtered in the 5-year period and overall 9,524 (1.43%) livers and 13,147 (1.98%) lungs were condemned. The lungs were more frequently infected with hydatid cysts than the livers in all animal species. The average prevalence of hydatidosis was 2.7% in this area. The prevalence of Echinococcus granulosus infection recorded in the present study was generally lower than those reported from other regions of Iran. Greater awareness among farmers, destruction of organs containing hydatid cysts, prevention of access of dogs to raw offals and implementation of national rabies control program could be responsible factors. The results showed a significant difference (p<0.001) in the prevalence of hydatidosis among studied animals with higher prevalence in cattle than sheep, with the lowest prevalence recorded in goats. However the annual prevalence of liver and lung condemnations due to hydatidosis was decreased in some years, but the overall trend had a variable pattern in the prevalence of hydatidosis over the study period. Data showed a significant seasonal pattern for hydatidosis in all studied animals. Liver and lung condemnations due to hydatidosis were higher in the fall for sheep and cattle, whereas in goats were higher in summer. This could be attributed to various factors such as sources of slaughtered animals, changes in management practice and ecological factors. The current results suggest that a systematic investigation that lead to a disease control strategy is required to reduce the economic and public health consequences of hydatidosis. In addition, the present survey provides baseline data for the future monitoring of this potentially important parasitic disease in the region.

Major causes of organ condemnation and economic loss in cattle slaughtered at Adigrat municipal abattoir, northern Ethiopia

Aim: The study was conducted to identify major causes of organs condemnation in cattle slaughtered at Adigrat municipal abattoir and to estimate the direct economic losses. Material and Methods: A cross sectional active abattoir survey, which involves both ante mortem and post mortem examinations, was conducted on 745 cattle from October 2012 to April 2013, and two years (September 2010 - September 2012) retrospective data on meat inspection records was also collected. Results: During ante mortem examination, in 114 (15.3%) cattle various types of abnormalities were detected include; lacrimation (3.49%), pale mucus membrane (3.09%), nasal discharge (1.88%), hernia (1.48%), actinomycosis (1.34%), salivation (1.74%), lameness (0.54%), emaciation (0.41%), depression (0.41%), blindness (0.41%), local swelling (0.27%) and rough hair coat (0.27%). Postmortem examination revealed that 131 (17.58%) liver, 61 (8.19%) lungs, 9 (1.21%) kidneys and 2 (0.27%) hearts were condemned due to various causes. Fasciolosis (9.26%) was the main cause of liver condemnation followed by hydatid cyst (3.62%) and cysticercus bovis (2.55%), respectively. The major causes of lung condemnation were hydatid cyst, emphysema and pneumonia accounting for 5.1, 1.61 and 1.07%, respectively. Hydronephrosis and cysticercus bovis were the major causes of kidney and liver condemnation with rate of 0.94 and 0.27%, respectively. Totally about 19,910.0 Ethiopian birr (1,083.83 USD) was lost from organs condemnation during the active abattoir survey. From the retrospective data it was observed that liver and lung were the most condemned organs with condemnation rate of 17.72 and 7.53%, respectively. The major causes of organ condemnation were hydatid cyst (11.52%), cirrhosis (4.97%), fasciolosis (4.35%), cysticercus bovis (4.12%) and hydronephrosis (1.21%), respectively. Consequently, the overall direct economical loss during the two years was estimated to be 83,890.0 Ethiopian birr (4,566.68 USD). Conclusion: The results identified various causes of organ condemnation and their economic importance in the area. Therefore, it is necessary to establish appropriate strategy for prevention and control.

Comparison of covariate adjustment methods using space-time scan statistics for food animal syndromic surveillance

BackgroundAbattoir condemnation data show promise as a rich source of data for syndromic surveillance of both animal and zoonotic diseases. However, inherent characteristics of abattoir condemnation data can bias results from space-time cluster detection methods for disease surveillance, and may need to be accounted for using various adjustment methods. The objective of this study was to compare the space-time scan statistics with different abilities to control for covariates and to assess their suitability for food animal syndromic surveillance. Four space-time scan statistic models were used including: animal class adjusted Poisson, space-time permutation, multi-level model adjusted Poisson, and a weighted normal scan statistic using model residuals. The scan statistics were applied to monthly bovine pneumonic lung and “parasitic liver” condemnation data from Ontario provincial abattoirs from 2001–2007.ResultsThe number and space-time characteristics of identified clusters often varied between space-time scan tests for both “parasitic liver” and pneumonic lung condemnation data. While there were some similarities between isolated clusters in space, time and/or space-time, overall the results from space-time scan statistics differed substantially depending on the covariate adjustment approach used.ConclusionsVariability in results among methods suggests that caution should be used in selecting space-time scan methods for abattoir surveillance. Furthermore, validation of different approaches with simulated or real outbreaks is required before conclusive decisions can be made concerning the best approach for conducting surveillance with these data.

Hydatic cyst prevalence in slaughtered animals, A neglected health problem

Lorestan and other part of Iran are one of the important endemic focuses for the major zoonotic parasitic diseases like cystic hydatid disease where several species of intermediate host are commonly infected with Echinococcus granulosus . Meat inspection records in a slaughtered house were used to determine the prevalence of Hydatidosis in sheep, cattle, and goats in Lorestan province (Aleshtar) located in South-West of Iran. The data were collected during a 5 year period from 2002 to 2006. A total of 40,431 animals (cattle 6993; sheep 14084; goats 19354) slaughtered in the 5-year period and overall 2885 (7.13%) lungs and 2885 (7.13%) livers and 1598 (3.95%) peritoneal cavity were contaminated by hydatid cyst. One thousand and eight hundred sixty eight (26.71%) out of 6993 of cattle, 2989/14084 (21.22%) of sheep and 2511/19354 (12.97%) of goats were infected by hydatid cyst in liver, lung and peritoneal cavity respectively. This study indicates that the highest prevalence of Hydatidosis was found in Aleshtar, Lorestan as compared to the rest of Iran (p<0.05). The annual prevalence of lung condemnations due to hydatidosis was increased from 8.3, 5 and 1.3% in Sep 2002 to Sep 2003 to 20.5, 8 and 5.5 % in Sep2005 to Sep2006 for cattle, sheep, and goats, respectively. An urgent attention is required to work on lack of awareness among farmers, lack of a policy to destroy the infected organs, prevention of access of dogs to raw offal’s and other responsible factors.Lorestan and other part of Iran are one of the important endemic focuses for the major zoonotic parasitic diseases like cystic hydatid disease where several species of intermediate host are commonly infected with Echinococcus granulosus . Meat inspection records in a slaughtered house were used to determine the prevalence of Hydatidosis in sheep, cattle, and goats in Lorestan province (Aleshtar) located in South-West of Iran. The data were collected during a 5 year period from 2002 to 2006. A total of 40,431 animals (cattle 6993; sheep 14084; goats 19354) slaughtered in the 5-year period and overall 2885 (7.13%) lungs and 2885 (7.13%) livers and 1598 (3.95%) peritoneal cavity were contaminated by hydatid cyst. One thousand and eight hundred sixty eight (26.71%) out of 6993 of cattle, 2989/14084 (21.22%) of sheep and 2511/19354 (12.97%) of goats were infected by hydatid cyst in liver, lung and peritoneal cavity respectively. This study indicates that the highest prevalence of Hydatidosis was found in Aleshtar, Lorestan as compared to the rest of Iran (p<0.05). The annual prevalence of lung condemnations due to hydatidosis was increased from 8.3, 5 and 1.3% in Sep 2002 to Sep 2003 to 20.5, 8 and 5.5 % in Sep2005 to Sep2006 for cattle, sheep, and goats, respectively. An urgent attention is required to work on lack of awareness among farmers, lack of a policy to destroy the infected organs, prevention of access of dogs to raw offal’s and other responsible factors.