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Voogt AM, Schrijver RS, Temürhan M, Bongers JH, Sijm DTHM. Opportunities for Regulatory Authorities to Assess Animal-Based Measures at the Slaughterhouse Using Sensor Technology and Artificial Intelligence: A Review. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3028. [PMID: 37835634 PMCID: PMC10571985 DOI: 10.3390/ani13193028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal-based measures (ABMs) are the preferred way to assess animal welfare. However, manual scoring of ABMs is very time-consuming during the meat inspection. Automatic scoring by using sensor technology and artificial intelligence (AI) may bring a solution. Based on review papers an overview was made of ABMs recorded at the slaughterhouse for poultry, pigs and cattle and applications of sensor technology to measure the identified ABMs. Also, relevant legislation and work instructions of the Dutch Regulatory Authority (RA) were scanned on applied ABMs. Applications of sensor technology in a research setting, on farm or at the slaughterhouse were reported for 10 of the 37 ABMs identified for poultry, 4 of 32 for cattle and 13 of 41 for pigs. Several applications are related to aspects of meat inspection. However, by European law meat inspection must be performed by an official veterinarian, although there are exceptions for the post mortem inspection of poultry. The examples in this study show that there are opportunities for using sensor technology by the RA to support the inspection and to give more insight into animal welfare risks. The lack of external validation for multiple commercially available systems is a point of attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika M. Voogt
- Office for Risk Assessment & Research (BuRO), Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), P.O. Box 43006, 3540 AA Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Gretarsson P, Kittelsen K, Oppermann Moe R, Toftaker I. Causes of carcass condemnation in Norwegian aviary housed layers. Acta Vet Scand 2023; 65:18. [PMID: 37217927 DOI: 10.1186/s13028-023-00680-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Meat inspection data is commonly used to monitor health and welfare in commercial broiler production; however, less used in layers. Slaughterhouse records can provide insight into animal and herd health and identify important health and welfare challenges. To gain knowledge of health issues in commercial aviary housed laying hens, the aim of this repeated cross-sectional study was to describe the occurrence and causes of carcass condemnation, including dead-on-arrivals (DOA), in commercial aviary housed layers in Norway, and to explore seasonal patterns and correlation between DOA and number of carcass condemnations. RESULTS Data from January 2018 to December 2020 were collected from one poultry abattoir in Norway. In total, 759,584 layers were slaughtered during this period in 101 slaughter batches from 98 flocks and 56 farms. In total, 33,754 (4.4%) layers were condemned, including the DOA. The most common carcass condemnation causes were (percent of all slaughtered layers): abscess/cellulitis (2.03%), peritonitis (0.38%), DOA (0.22%), emaciation (0.22%), discoloration/smell (0.21%), acute skin lesions (0.21%) and ascites (0.17%). Regression analysis showed an estimated higher prevalence of total carcass condemnation during winter compared to the other seasons. CONCLUSIONS The three most common condemnation causes found in the present study were: abscess/cellulitis, peritonitis, and DOA. We found a large between-batch variation in causes of condemnation and DOA indicating that prevention might be possible. The results can be used to inform and guide further studies on layer health and welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Páll Gretarsson
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, NMBU-Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.
| | - Käthe Kittelsen
- Animalia-The Norwegian Meat and Poultry Research Centre, Oslo, Norway
| | - Randi Oppermann Moe
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, NMBU-Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Ingrid Toftaker
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, NMBU-Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
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Relationship between Bruises on Carcasses of Beef Cattle and Transport-Related Factors. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12151997. [PMID: 35953986 PMCID: PMC9367580 DOI: 10.3390/ani12151997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The assessment of bruises on carcasses at the slaughterhouse has been lately indicated as a valid method to evaluate cattle welfare. However, little is known about the prevalence and the causes of bruises of cattle slaughtered in Italy. The aim of this study was to collect information concerning the prevalence of bruises on the carcasses of beef cattle slaughtered in an Italian abattoir and to determine a relationship between fresh bruises and transport-related factors. In total, 1265 animals were included in this study, with 21.6% of them being positive for at least one bruise, either fresh or old. In most cases, the bruising was mild, with lesions exclusively located in one area of the carcass. Most of the bruised animals (63%) showed at least one red lesion. Occurrence of such red, fresh bruises varied significantly depending on the body parts (p < 0.0001), with the flank being the most affected area (39.5%), followed by the butt (36.0%) and the front (23.8%). The probability of fresh bruising varied significantly depending on the category of each animal (p < 0.0001), with steers showing fewer red bruises than both heifers and veal. Finally, animals transported in conditions of a high density had a lower probability of bruising (p = 0.0003). These findings support the use of a monitoring scheme based on the presence of bruises to assess cattle welfare at the abattoir level in order to provide feedback to farmers and to implement procedures carried out during transport.
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Törmä K, Kaukonen E, Lundén J, Fredriksson-Ahomaa M, Laukkanen-Ninios R. A comparative analysis of meat inspection data as an information source of the health and welfare of broiler chickens based on Finnish data. Food Control 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2022.109017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Collineau E, Corbière F, Darnal S, Holleville N, Salines M. Analysis of bovine postmortem condemnation data in France: Contributions from a comprehensive and standardised information system at the slaughterhouse. Vet Rec 2022; 191:e1733. [PMID: 35700231 DOI: 10.1002/vetr.1733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The condemnation of carcases and offal unfit for human consumption is a regulatory requirement at the slaughterhouse. Condemnation data, if comprehensive and standardised, can be a valuable source of information for risk-based inspection and decision making. METHODS The aim of this study was to analyse postmortem condemnation data that were recorded in all bovine slaughterhouses in mainland France from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2020 in a comprehensive and standardised information system. The rates of and reasons for condemnation, as well as factors influencing rate variation, were investigated through descriptive analysis and multivariable logistic regression models. RESULTS The global, total and partial condemnation rates were 4.5%, 0.7% and 3.8% for adult cattle and 1.4%, 0.3% and 1.1% for calves, respectively. Reasons for condemnation varied with the animal category; for example, the three main reasons for total condemnation in adult cattle were serous infiltration of connective tissue (49% of condemned animals), congestive peritonitis (12.2%) and fibrinous peritonitis (10.9%), whereas the top three reasons for partial condemnation were unique abscess (21.9%), haemorrhagic infiltration (20.6%) and muscular sclerosis (17.4%). Condemnation rates were influenced by animal-related factors (sex, age, type of breed) and slaughterhouse-related factors (status, type, slaughter volume). CONCLUSION Our findings could usefully contribute to the continuous improvement of the harmonisation of inspection decisions and support the risk manager's strategy in the modernisation of official controls at the slaughterhouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eléonore Collineau
- French Ministry of Agriculture and Food, General Directorate for Food, Office for Slaughterhouses and Cutting Plants, Paris, France
| | - Fabien Corbière
- UMR INRAE-ENVT 1225 IHAP, National Veterinary School, University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Stéphanie Darnal
- French Ministry of Agriculture and Food, General Directorate for Food, Office for Slaughterhouses and Cutting Plants, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Holleville
- French Ministry of Agriculture and Food, General Directorate for Food, Office for Slaughterhouses and Cutting Plants, Paris, France
| | - Morgane Salines
- French Ministry of Agriculture and Food, General Directorate for Food, Office for Slaughterhouses and Cutting Plants, Paris, France
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Health status of slaughtered animals as indicated by postmortem inspection at slaughterhouses. ACTA VET BRNO 2022. [DOI: 10.2754/avb202291010099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The study focused on the comparison of health of cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, rabbits, poultry and ostriches slaughtered in slaughterhouses in the Czech Republic based on the occurrence of findings detected during a postmortem veterinary inspection in the period from 2010 to 2019. The level of health was expressed as the so-called PA index obtained by the ratio of the number of findings to the total number of observations (15) during the pathoanatomical examination in the slaughterhouse multiplied by one hundred. Mammals (cattle, pigs, sheep and goats) generally had a higher PA index than birds (domestic chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, ostriches), with the exception of kids and rabbits. The highest PA index was found in cows (15.13) and piglets (12.18); whereas the lowest PA index was found in broiler chickens (0.102), rabbits, and geese (both 0.14). In poultry, the PA index values were below 1, with the exception of laying hens (PA index 2.165). A higher PA index was found in a group of adult animals (the PA index ranged from 2.17 to 15.13) and groups of young animals culled from farms (the PA index ranged from 10.79 to 12.18) than in fattened animals (the PA index ranged from 0.10 to 5.32). A comprehensive overview of the health condition of slaughtered animals enables the farmers, veterinarians, transporters and slaughterhouse operators to take appropriate and precisely targeted preventive measures, thereby increasing the animal welfare and health in the future while reducing the incidence of carcass damage.
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Törmä K, Lundén J, Kaukonen E, Fredriksson-Ahomaa M, Laukkanen-Ninios R. Prerequisites of inspection conditions for uniform post-mortem inspection in broiler chicken slaughterhouses in Finland. Food Control 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2021.108384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Valkova L, Voslarova E, Vecerek V, Dolezelova P, Zavrelova V, Weeks C. Traumatic Injuries Detected during Post-Mortem Slaughterhouse Inspection as Welfare Indicators in Poultry and Rabbits. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11092610. [PMID: 34573576 PMCID: PMC8468503 DOI: 10.3390/ani11092610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary An analysis of the slaughterhouse post-mortem examination records over a decade showed that for animals transported to slaughter in containers, the risk of traumatic injury was highest in laying hens (2.80%) and rabbits (1.52%), while the overall incidence of trauma was below 0.5% in other species. The results show that the current rearing conditions and/or pre-slaughter handling of poultry and rabbits have comparatively negative welfare consequences, with significantly more traumatic injuries to the limbs than on the trunk in all species studied. In poultry, traumatic findings on the trunk were orders of magnitude lower to negligible, so the focus should be on preventing injuries to the limbs. In rabbits, the difference was less pronounced with a high number of injuries found on both limbs and trunk. Abstract The findings of traumatic injuries during post-mortem inspection in slaughterhouses reflect the level of pre-slaughter handling of animals at the farm and during transport to the slaughterhouse. The prevalence of traumatic injuries was monitored in poultry (1,089,406,687 broiler chickens, 20,030,744 laying hens, 1,181,598 turkeys, 37,690 geese, 28,579,765 ducks) and rabbits (1,876,929) originating from farms in the Czech Republic and slaughtered in slaughterhouses in the Czech Republic between 2010 and 2019. The greatest incidence of traumatic injuries was found in laying hens (2.80%) and rabbits (1.52%); while the overall incidence of trauma was less than 0.5% in other species and categories. The results show that the current rearing conditions and/or pre-slaughter handling of poultry and rabbits particularly affect the limbs; traumatic findings were significantly (p < 0.01) more frequent on the limbs than on the trunk in all species studied. In poultry, traumatic findings on the trunk were orders of magnitude lower to negligible, so the focus should be on preventing injuries to the limbs. In rabbits, the difference was less pronounced, and many injuries were found on both limbs (0.83%) and trunk (0.69%). Our results emphasize the need to reconsider both housing and pre-slaughter handling methods to determine minimum standards for the protection of rabbits, which are still lacking in European legislation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Valkova
- Department of Animal Protection and Welfare and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic; (L.V.); (V.V.); (P.D.); (V.Z.)
| | - Eva Voslarova
- Department of Animal Protection and Welfare and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic; (L.V.); (V.V.); (P.D.); (V.Z.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Vladimir Vecerek
- Department of Animal Protection and Welfare and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic; (L.V.); (V.V.); (P.D.); (V.Z.)
| | - Petra Dolezelova
- Department of Animal Protection and Welfare and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic; (L.V.); (V.V.); (P.D.); (V.Z.)
| | - Veronika Zavrelova
- Department of Animal Protection and Welfare and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic; (L.V.); (V.V.); (P.D.); (V.Z.)
| | - Claire Weeks
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU, UK;
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Buzdugan SN, Alarcon P, Huntington B, Rushton J, Blake DP, Guitian J. Enhancing the value of meat inspection records for broiler health and welfare surveillance: longitudinal detection of relational patterns. BMC Vet Res 2021; 17:278. [PMID: 34407823 PMCID: PMC8371771 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-021-02970-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Abattoir data are under-used for surveillance. Nationwide surveillance could benefit from using data on meat inspection findings, but several limitations need to be overcome. At the producer level, interpretation of meat inspection findings is a notable opportunity for surveillance with relevance to animal health and welfare. In this study, we propose that discovery and monitoring of relational patterns between condemnation conditions co-present in broiler batches at meat inspection can provide valuable information for surveillance of farmed animal health and welfare. Results Great Britain (GB)-based integrator meat inspection records for 14,045 broiler batches slaughtered in nine, four monthly intervals were assessed for the presence of surveillance indicators relevant to broiler health and welfare. K-means and correlation-based hierarchical clustering, and association rules analyses were performed to identify relational patterns in the data. Incidence of condemnation showed seasonal and temporal variation, which was detected by association rules analysis. Syndrome-related and non-specific relational patterns were detected in some months of meat inspection records. A potentially syndromic cluster was identified in May 2016 consisting of infection-related conditions: pericarditis, perihepatitis, peritonitis, and abnormal colour. Non-specific trends were identified in some months as an unusual combination of condemnation reasons in broiler batches. Conclusions We conclude that the detection of relational patterns in meat inspection records could provide producer-level surveillance indicators with relevance to broiler chicken health and welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- S N Buzdugan
- Veterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health Group, Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA, North Mymms, UK.
| | - P Alarcon
- Veterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health Group, Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA, North Mymms, UK
| | - B Huntington
- Liverpool Science Park, Innovation Centre 2, 146 Brownlow Hill, L3 5RF, Liverpool, UK
| | - J Rushton
- Epidemiology and Population Health, Liverpool University, Brownlow Hill, L69 7ZX, Liverpool, UK
| | - D P Blake
- Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, North Mymms, UK
| | - J Guitian
- Veterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health Group, Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA, North Mymms, UK
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Hénaux V, Ponsart C, Corre J, Etore F, Boulouis HJ, Morvan H, Grisot L, Peroz C. Sensitivity of bovine tuberculosis surveillance through intradermal tests in cattle in France: An evaluation of different scenarios. Prev Vet Med 2021; 191:105364. [PMID: 33964617 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2021.105364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The current situation regarding bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in Europe is spatially heterogeneous, with stagnating or increasing trends in bTB prevalence in many European regions, underlying the challenge in controlling this disease. In France, in spite of the implementation of two control programs in 2010-2012 to eradicate the disease and maintain the bTB-free status, bTB prevalence has continued to increase, underlying the need to reinforce and adapt surveillance measures. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of bTB surveillance in high-risk areas in metropolitan France, with an emphasis on the criteria to select herds and animals within herds in the context of programmed surveillance and movement testing. The fraction of bTB-infected herds detected by the surveillance was quantified using a stochastic scenario tree modelling approach, with input parameter values based on surveillance and cattle traceability data and literature. The detection fraction was assessed for the current surveillance system and for alternative scenarios. The model predicted that the median detection fraction of infected herds by the current programmed surveillance in high-risk areas, which consists in annual testing of herds with a minimum age of testing of 24 months, was 71.5 % (interquartile interval: 47.4-89.4). The results showed a significant gain of the detection fraction with a decrease from 24 to 12 months old (83.5 % [60.6-95.9]) or to six weeks old (91.3 % [71.6-99.0]). Regarding pre-movement surveillance, tests are currently mandatory for bovines that originate from a previously infected herd or from a herd epidemiologically linked to a bTB-infected herd. The median detection fraction predicted by the model for this surveillance scenario was 1.2 % [0.7-1.8]. For the alternative scenario, where surveillance would be extended to all herds in high-risk areas, the model predicted a significant increase of the detection fraction to 26.5 % [18.1-37.9]. The results were sensitive to the following input values: the number of infected bovines within herds and, to a lower extent, the comparative intradermal tuberculin test sensitivity for both models, and surveillance coverage for the model on pre-movement surveillance. Our study underlines several complementary ways to improve the detection of infected herds, which is critical for implementing control measures and epidemiological investigations as early as possible. These necessary changes in surveillance must be accompanied by a global reflexion on surveillance financing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviane Hénaux
- Université de Lyon - ANSES, Laboratoire de Lyon, Unité Epidémiologie et Appui à la Surveillance, 31 Avenue Tony Garnier, 69007, Lyon, France.
| | - Claire Ponsart
- Université de Paris-Est, ANSES, Laboratoire de santé animale, Unité Zoonoses bactériennes, 14 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 94706, Maisons-Alfort, France.
| | - Justine Corre
- ANSES, Direction de l'évaluation des risques, Unité d'Evaluation des Risques liés à la Santé, à l'Alimentation et au Bien-Etre des animaux, 14 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 94706, Maisons-Alfort, France.
| | - Florence Etore
- ANSES, Direction de l'évaluation des risques, Unité d'Evaluation des Risques liés à la Santé, à l'Alimentation et au Bien-Etre des animaux, 14 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 94706, Maisons-Alfort, France.
| | - Henri-Jean Boulouis
- UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Paris-Est Sup, 7 avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France.
| | - Hervé Morvan
- LABOCEA, 7 rue du Sabot, CS30054, 22440, Ploufragan, France.
| | - Lionel Grisot
- Groupement Technique Vétérinaire de Bourgogne - Franche-Comté & Groupe de travail Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments de la Société Nationale des GTV, Clinique Vétérinaire des Tourbières, 1 rue de Beaucaire, 25560, Frasne, France.
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The Health and Welfare of Rabbits as Indicated by Post-Mortem Findings at the Slaughterhouse. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11030659. [PMID: 33801416 PMCID: PMC8000563 DOI: 10.3390/ani11030659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Veterinary inspection at the slaughterhouse plays an important role in the surveillance system for animal health and welfare. The study focused on the quantification and identification of pathological findings in rabbits slaughtered at the slaughterhouses in the Czech Republic in the period from 2010 to 2019. The ratio of the number of pathological findings to the total number of rabbits slaughtered was 0.0214, i.e., for every hundred rabbits, 2.14 findings were made documenting the impairment of health and/or welfare to an extent leading to pathological changes detected during the post-mortem inspection of the rabbits at the slaughterhouse. The pathological findings that occurred most often were those on the limbs (0.84%), trunk (0.71%), kidneys (0.17%), and liver (0.05%), along with generalized changes (0.37%). The results show that findings on the limbs and trunk were dominated by findings of traumatic origin. Findings in the kidneys and liver were most often of a chronic nature. Findings of abscesses were most frequent among generalized findings. Abstract The aim of the study was to assess post-mortem findings according to their localization and the nature of damage and to assess the standard of health and welfare of farmed rabbits on the basis of these findings. A total of 40,206 pathological findings were recorded in 1,876,929 rabbits slaughtered at slaughterhouses in the Czech Republic in the period from 2010 to 2019. Pathological findings on the limbs (0.84%), the trunk (0.71%), the kidneys (0.17%), and the liver (0.05%), along with generalized changes (0.37%), occurred most frequently. Findings of traumatic origin dominated among findings on the limbs and trunk, which indicates the inappropriate housing and handling rabbits on farms and during transport. Findings in the kidneys and liver were most often of a chronic nature having an evident correlation with the diet of intensively fed rabbits, with shortcomings in the diet having an impact on the parenchyma with chronic manifestations in the liver and kidneys. Among the generalized findings, multiple abscesses, which were probably associated with the infection of injuries occurring during fattening, and emaciation resulting from current husbandry practices, leading to insufficient feed intake or the development of disease in some individuals, predominated.
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Saraiva S, Saraiva C, Oliveira I, Stilwell G, Esteves A. Effects of age, weight, and housing system on prevalence of dead on arrival and carcass condemnation causes in laying hens. Poult Sci 2020; 100:100910. [PMID: 33518312 PMCID: PMC7936178 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2020.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Causes of condemnation and dead on arrival (DoA) birds were studied at the slaughterhouse and effects of age, BW, and housing system were investigated. A total of 1,156 (0.18%) birds were found DoA and 20,754 carcasses out of 629,331 (3.30%) were condemned during postmortem inspection. The main reasons for condemnation were peritonitis, septicemia, salpingitis, emaciation, and tumors. The mean percentages of condemnation by septicemia and emaciation differed according to age and BW groups and were more common in batches of younger (≤87 wk) and lighter (≤1.88 kg) birds. Moreover, peritonitis and ascites differed significantly between age groups, occurring more frequently in batches of older hens. The presence of tumors of the reproductive system was more frequently observed in older and heavier hens. This result raises the possibility of tumors being correlated with the higher number of prior ovulatory events. The total condemnation rate was lower in hens from organic systems, followed by free-range, and differed significantly from barns and cage systems. Carcasses with ascites and peritonitis were found more commonly in hens from cages and barns and both differed significantly from organic systems. Salpingitis was statistically more prevalent in barns, presenting differences from organic and free-range systems. Monitoring condemnation causes of end-of-lay hens at slaughter provided a better understanding of health and welfare issues in different housing systems and allowed to identify potential welfare problems, which can be used to improve management and welfare on farms.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Saraiva
- School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, DCV, CECAV, Center of Animal Science and Veterinary, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal.
| | - C Saraiva
- School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, DCV, CECAV, Center of Animal Science and Veterinary, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal
| | - I Oliveira
- CEMAT-IST-UL, Center for Computational and Stochastic Mathematics, University of Lisbon, Portugal
| | - G Stilwell
- Animal Behaviour and Welfare Laboratory, Center of Interdisciplinary Investigation in Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Portugal
| | - A Esteves
- School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, DCV, CECAV, Center of Animal Science and Veterinary, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal
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Alfifi A, Dalsgaard A, Christensen JP, Larsen MH, Sandberg M. The association between meat inspection codes, footpad lesions and thinning of broiler flocks in the Danish broiler production. Prev Vet Med 2020; 185:105205. [PMID: 33202294 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2020.105205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The foundation of the condemnation practices in Post-Mortem Inspection (PMI) of poultry should be based on up-to-date scientific evidence about the cause of infection and hence whether the lesions observed are of food safety, animal health or welfare concerns. This study aimed to investigate the association between meat inspection codes, footpad lesions, and thinning of flocks in Danish broiler production. The data set was based on the delivery of chicken flocks to one of the two larger chicken slaughterhouses in Denmark, representing 71 farms, 174 houses, and 4,068 flocks over three years from January 2016 to December 2018. Post-mortem condemnation data of slaughtered chickens recorded and stored in the Danish Quality Assurance System (KIK) database was used in the study. Five potentially causal models were developed to investigate whether there was an association between dermatitis, arthritis, systemic infection, emaciation, mortality and possible explaining factors` (footpad lesion, age at slaughter, scratches, ascites, systemic infection and thinning of the flock). These five ecological logistic regression models were analyzed with the three levels: farm, house, and flock. Data from a total number of 126,137,002 (N) slaughtered chickens recorded in KIK databases were used for modeling and analyses. The prevalence of condemned carcasses was 1.1 % (n = 1,420,812). Overall, 12 individual reasons for condemnation of carcasses were recorded. The most frequently observed reason for condemnation was skin disease (scratches and dermatitis) with a prevalence of 0.5 %. Prevalence of ascites was 0.2 %, discoloration 0.09 %, emaciation 0.09 %, hepatitis 0.09 % and arthritis 0.07 %. In the first model, dermatitis was shown to be positively associated with age at slaughter with an OR = 1.04 (CI95 %: 1.02-1.05), while arthritis was considered an intervening variable. Moreover, there was a small protective effect of thinning of the flock for first and second delivery. There was a positive association between arthritis and age at the time of slaughter with an OR = 1.13 (CI95 %: 1.12-1.15). Systemic infections were associated with scratches with an OR = 24.5 (CI95 %: 16.6-36.3) and footpad lesions with an OR = 1.007 (CI95 %: 1.006-1.008). Further modelling of emaciation and mortality was not considered because of unbalanced groups in the data probably caused by the fact that some condemnation codes were rare. We observed that the most common causal factors of condemnation in the systemic infection models were scratches and footpad lesion, therefore preventing and controlling such lesions could reduce losses. Specific management and environmental etiological factors of the main infections causing condemnation in Danish broilers should be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Alfifi
- Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, 1870, Frederiksberg C, Denmark; Department of Veterinary Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University, P.O Box: 400, Al-Ahasa, 31982, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Anders Dalsgaard
- Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, 1870, Frederiksberg C, Denmark; School of Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
| | - Jens P Christensen
- Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, 1870, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
| | - Marianne Halberg Larsen
- Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, 1870, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
| | - Marianne Sandberg
- Food Safety, Veterinary Issues and Risk Analysis, Danish Agriculture and Food Council, 1609 DK, Copenhagen V, Denmark; National Food Institute, Danish Technical University, Lyngby, Denmark.
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Comparison of international legislation and standards on veterinary drug residues in food of animal origin. J Public Health Policy 2020; 40:308-341. [PMID: 30976059 DOI: 10.1057/s41271-019-00169-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Current legislation governing monitoring of drug residues in foodstuff of animal origin is being revised at the European level. This study provides a qualitative comparison of the legislation, public and private standards in the European Union, the United States of America (USA) and the Eurasian Customs Union/Russia. We made a quantitative comparison of Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) applied in each region for pork kidneys for tetracycline (with a focus on doxycycline), penicillin and chloramphenicol. The Customs Union generally applied lower levels than the other regions, with MRLs for tetracyclines in pig kidneys being 1200 times lower than those applied in the USA. Growing consumer interest and concern about chemicals in their food could be leveraged to support and enhance the implementation of new initiatives to improve veterinary public health. Farmers and veterinarians could help reduce findings of drug residues in meat through the judicious use of preventive actions when using veterinary medicine.
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15
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Vecerek V, Vecerkova L, Voslarova E. Comparison of the frequency of patho-anatomic findings in laying hens with findings in broiler chickens and turkeys detected during post-mortem veterinary inspection. Poult Sci 2020; 98:5385-5391. [PMID: 31226714 DOI: 10.3382/ps/pez364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
We have investigated the health condition of laying hens on the basis of patho-anatomic findings obtained during the veterinary inspection after slaughter. To assess the severity of the health condition of laying hens, we compared the incidence of findings with the findings in broiler chickens and turkeys. In the period from 2010 to 2017, 17,346,183 laying hens, 887,994,167 broiler chickens, and 919,843 turkeys were transported from Czech farms to slaughterhouses in the Czech Republic. The competent veterinary authority in the Czech Republic (the State Veterinary Administration) carried out a veterinary inspection of these birds slaughtered in the slaughterhouse and recorded the patho-anatomic findings. From the recorded data, the number of patho-anatomic findings (intravital origin) of the organs and parts of the bodies (liver, intestines, lungs, heart, spleen, genital tract, urinary system, CNS, skin, head, body, limbs, and whole animal) were analysed. We found increased patho-anatomic findings in the liver (26.76%) and limbs (6.03%) in hens, and also high numbers of findings in the category of total findings (1.57%) were detected. In liver findings, chronic findings (22.09%) were prevailing over the acute findings (4.67%), compared to broiler chickens (chronic 0.04%, acute 0.03%) and turkeys (chronic 1.90%, acute 0.00%). The differences between hens, broilers, and turkeys were significant (P < 0.001). The incidence of traumatic, chronic, and acute findings in hens (3.88%, 1.71%, and 0.44%, respectively) was higher (P < 0.001) in the case of the legs, compared with broiler chickens (0.02%, 0.08%, and 0.02%, respectively) and turkeys (0.27%, 0.23%, and 0.05%, respectively). The results show that the health condition of laying hens is significantly worse than in case of broiler chickens and turkeys, especially in the impact on the liver due to the likely effect of nutrition not corresponding to the intensity of the production of laying hens, and the impact on the limbs due in particular to traumatic changes caused by inappropriate transport handling and inadequate conditions (especially cage housing) of laying hens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Vecerek
- Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, Department of Animal Protection, Welfare, and Behaviour, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, 612 42 Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Vecerkova
- Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, Department of Animal Protection, Welfare, and Behaviour, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, 612 42 Czech Republic
| | - Eva Voslarova
- Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, Department of Animal Protection, Welfare, and Behaviour, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, 612 42 Czech Republic
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Knock M, Carroll GA. The Potential of Post-Mortem Carcass Assessments in Reflecting the Welfare of Beef and Dairy Cattle. Animals (Basel) 2019; 9:E959. [PMID: 31766113 PMCID: PMC6912758 DOI: 10.3390/ani9110959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
There is increasing interest in utilizing meat inspection data to help inform farmers of the health and welfare of their herds. The aim of this study was to determine whether ante-mortem measures of welfare in beef and dairy cattle (N = 305) were associated with post-mortem measures at a United Kingdom (UK) abattoir. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the ability of ante-mortem measures of lameness, cleanliness, skin lesions, hair loss and body condition in predicting hot carcass weight and the frequency of carcass bruising. For beef cattle, lameness score (p = 0.04), cleanliness score (p = 0.02) and age (p < 0.001), were predictors of carcass bruise score while lameness score (p = 0.03), body condition (p = 0.01) and sex (p < 0.001) were predictors of hot carcass weight. For dairy cattle, sex (p < 0.001) and slaughter day (p < 0.001) were predictors of carcass bruise score while skin lesion score (p = 0.01), body condition (p < 0.001), age (p < 0.001), slaughter day (p < 0.001) and number of moves (p = 0.01) were predictors of hot carcass weight. These results suggest that recording carcass weight and carcass bruising at meat inspection may have potential as a general indicator of health and welfare status in cattle. However, animal characteristics and variables, such as slaughter day and abattoir staffing, should be taken into account when interpreting the results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melody Knock
- Animal Behaviour and Welfare Research Group, Department of Animal and Land Sciences, Hartpury University, Gloucester GL19 3BE, UK;
| | - Grace A. Carroll
- Animal Behaviour Centre, School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, UK
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Marcon AV, Oliveira GFD, Caldara FR, Garcia RG, Matins RA, Marcon A, Crone C, Assunción ASA. Bacteriological and Histopathological Evaluation of Articulations of Chickens Diagnosed with Arthritis. BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF POULTRY SCIENCE 2019. [DOI: 10.1590/1806-9061-2018-0805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- AV Marcon
- Federal University of Grande Dourados, Brazil
| | | | - FR Caldara
- Federal University of Grande Dourados, Brazil
| | - RG Garcia
- Federal University of Grande Dourados, Brazil
| | - RA Matins
- Federal University of Grande Dourados, Brazil
| | - A Marcon
- Federal University of Grande Dourados, Brazil
| | - C Crone
- Federal University of Grande Dourados, Brazil
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Souza APO, Taconeli CA, Plugge NF, Molento CFM. Broiler Chicken Meat Inspection Data in Brazil: A First Glimpse into an Animal Welfare Approach. BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF POULTRY SCIENCE 2018. [DOI: 10.1590/1806-9061-2017-0706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- APO Souza
- Federal University of Paraná, Brazil
| | | | - NF Plugge
- Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply, Brazil
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Designing an innovative warning system to support risk-based meat inspection in poultry slaughterhouses. Food Control 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2018.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Stakeholder perspectives on the use of pig meat inspection as a health and welfare diagnostic tool in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland; a SWOT analysis. Ir Vet J 2016; 69:17. [PMID: 27826425 PMCID: PMC5100206 DOI: 10.1186/s13620-016-0076-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Accepted: 10/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis is a strategic management tool applied to policy planning and decision-making. This short report presents the results of a SWOT analysis, carried out with n = 16 stakeholders i) involved in the pig industry in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and ii) in general animal welfare and food safety policy areas. As part of a larger study called PIGWELFIND, the analysis sought to explore the potential development of pig meat inspection as an animal welfare and diagnostic tool. Findings The final SWOT framework comprised two strengths, three opportunities, six weaknesses, and five threats. Issues around relationships and communication between producers and their veterinary practitioner, processors and producers were common to both the strengths and weakness clusters. Practical challenges within the processing plant were also named. Overall, the SWOT framework complements results reported in Devitt et al. (Ir Vet J 69:2, 2016) regarding problematic issues within the current system of information feedback on meat inspection especially within the Republic of Ireland, and the wider challenges of communication and problems of distrust. Conclusion The results of the SWOT analysis support the conclusions from Devitt et al. (Ir Vet J 69:2, 2016), that trust between all stakeholders across the supply chain will be essential for the development of an effective environment in which to realise the full diagnostic potential of MI data. Further stakeholder engagement could seek to apply the findings of the SWOT analysis to a policy Delphi methodology, as used elsewhere.
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Correia-Gomes C, Smith RP, Eze JI, Henry MK, Gunn GJ, Williamson S, Tongue SC. Pig Abattoir Inspection Data: Can It Be Used for Surveillance Purposes? PLoS One 2016; 11:e0161990. [PMID: 27564417 PMCID: PMC5001630 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Statutory recording of carcass lesions at the abattoir may have significant potential as a resource for surveillance of livestock populations. Food Standards Agency (FSA) data in Great Britain are not currently used for surveillance purposes. There are concerns that the sensitivity of detection, combined with other issues, may make the outputs unreliable. In this study we postulate that FSA data could be used for surveillance purposes. To test this we compared FSA data with BPHS (a targeted surveillance system of slaughtered pigs) and laboratory diagnostic scanning surveillance (FarmFile) data, from mid-2008 to mid-2012, for respiratory conditions and tail bite lesions in pigs at population level. We also evaluated the agreement/correlation at batch level between FSA and BPHS inspections in four field trials during 2013. Temporal trends and regional differences at population level were described and compared using logistic regression models. Population temporal analysis showed an increase in respiratory disease in all datasets but with regional differences. For tail bite, the temporal trend and monthly patterns were completely different between the datasets. The field trials were run in three abattoirs and included 322 batches. Pearson’s correlation and Cohen’s kappa tests were used to assess correlation/agreement between inspections systems. It was moderate to strong for high prevalence conditions but slight for low prevalence conditions. We conclude that there is potential to use FSA data as a component of a surveillance system to monitor temporal trends and regional differences of chosen indicators at population level. At producer level and for low prevalence conditions it needs further improvement. Overall a number of issues still need to be addressed in order to provide the pig industry with the confidence to base their decisions on these FSA inspection data. Similar conclusions, at national level, may apply to other livestock sectors but require further evaluation of the inspection and data collection processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Correia-Gomes
- Epidemiology Research Unit, Future Farming Systems Research Group, Scotland’s Rural College, Kings Building, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Richard P. Smith
- Animal and Plant Health Agency, New Haw, Addlestone, Weybridge, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Jude I. Eze
- Epidemiology Research Unit, Future Farming Systems Research Group, Scotland’s Rural College, Kings Building, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Madeleine K. Henry
- Epidemiology Research Unit, Future Farming Systems Research Group, Scotland’s Rural College, Kings Building, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - George J. Gunn
- Epidemiology Research Unit, Future Farming Systems Research Group, Scotland’s Rural College, Kings Building, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Susanna Williamson
- Animal and Plant Health Agency, Rougham Hill, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, United Kingdom
| | - Sue C. Tongue
- Epidemiology Research Unit, Future Farming Systems Research Group, Scotland’s Rural College, Kings Building, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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