Opinion of the Scientific Panel on biological hazards (BIOHAZ) on the on the “Risk assessment of a revised inspection of slaughter animals in areas with low prevalence of Trichinella”

Effects of post-mortem inspection techniques change on the detection capability of low public health impact diseases of slaughtered pigs: A quasi-experimental study

Slaughtered animals are regularly submitted to post-mortem inspection to ensure that all the edible parts are fit for human consumption. According to Regulation (EU) No 219/2014, pig carcasses inspection is exclusively visual as palpation and incision could lead to cross-contamination and spread of relevant zoonotic agents. However, when compared to incision and palpation, the visual method is characterized by low sensitivity; thus, the omission of incision and palpation could lead to a reduced detection capability of organic lesions. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of exclusively visual inspection to mark pulmonary and hepatic lesions associated with low public health impact diseases in pork carcasses. A quasiexperimental- before/after research protocol has been used. All the post-mortem inspections have been carried out in a slaughterhouse located in the province of Teramo (IT), on 7,764 swine from 2011 to 2017. Carcasses undergone the only visual inspection have shown a statistically significant reduction (pvalue <0.0001) in the diagnosis of hepatic (decrease of 59%) and pulmonary diseases (decrease of 38. 5%). To overcome the limits of the low sensitivity of the visual inspection, as well as the inter-operator diagnostic variability, the high number of carcasses examined is proposed as a factor conferring external validity to the study, which provides quantitative evidence in support of the causal association between the modified inspection technique and the reduced diagnostic capacity. A further support derives from the assessment of the prevalence of hepatic and pulmonary diseases in species for whom the inspection technique is not changed.

A seroepidemiological study of bovine cysticercosis in Bali and Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

Background and Aim:

Taenia saginata hazardously affects human and animal health. The distribution of this disease is found almost all over the world. The study aimed to obtain epidemiological information concerning prevalence and the distribution of bovine cysticercosis in Bali and Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 267 community-owned Bali cattle serum samples from the provinces of Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, and East Nusa Tenggara were examined. The study was conducted by examining the serum of Bali cattle using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. Risk factors related to cysticercosis that analyzed were sex, breeding type, age, physical condition, source of drinking water, pen condition, and latrine availability.

Results:

Seven of 91 Bali cattle sera from all regencies/cities in Bali showed a positive result. Those positive sera were originated from Buleleng (1), Gianyar (2), Denpasar (2), and Klungkung (2). Meanwhile, four of 92 Bali cattle sera from West Nusa Tenggara and seven of 84 from East Nusa Tenggara occurred antibodies against T. saginata. We identified that two risk factors that influence the incidence of T. saginata infection in Bali cattle in Bali were the sex and the cattle breeding type.

Conclusion:

Through this research can be made a map of bovine cysticercosis in Bali cattle in Bali and Nusa Tenggara region. By mapping the disease, it is recommended that the animal health officers should be more accurate when conducting postmortem examination, especially on cattle from a positive region.

Present status of trichinellosis - a neglected zoonosis in India

Trichinellosis is a meat-borne helminthic zoonosis, caused by different species of the genus Trichinella. The disease is cosmopolitan in distribution and affects around 10,000 people annually around the globe. Based on genetic, biochemical and biological variability, 9 valid species (T. britovi, T. murrelli, T. nativa, T. nelsoni, T. papuae, T. patagoniensis, T. pseudospiralis, T. spiralis and T. zimbabwensis) and 3 genotypes (Trichinella T6, T8 and T9) of the parasite have been recognized. These species infect around 100 mammalian species including domestic and wild pigs, horses, game animals and wild carnivores. The infection starts with consumption of raw or undercooked meat or meat products containing encysted muscle larvae of the parasite. Most of the infections or outbreaks have been associated with the consumption of meat or meat products of pigs, wild boars, horses, crocodiles, walruses and dogs. Trichinoscopy is used in the veterinary inspection of pork in slaughterhouses and meat-packing facilities in many countries. It is a rapid process, but low in sensitivity and fails to detect mild infection. The muscle digestion method using HCl-pepsin is more sensitive and thus preferred. Recent outbreak of trichinellosis in Uttarakhand state opened up issues related to rapid diagnosis and lack of consumer awareness regarding safe cooking habits of meat of pig origin. This status report is an attempt to compile the information on Trichinella spp. infection in animals and humans in India at one place to draw the attention of medical and veterinary personnels involved in disease investigation and active research on zoonotic diseases.