A Retrospective Study after 10 Years (2010-2019) of Meat Inspection Activity in a Domestic Swine Abattoir in Tuscany: The Slaughterhouse as an Epidemiological Observatory

Assessment of pig welfare at slaughterhouse level: A systematic review of animal-based indicators suitable for inclusion in monitoring protocols

Pig welfare constitutes a strategic pillar of sustainability within the pork industry. Consequently, there is a need to identify, develop and/or validate indicators for assessing pig wellbeing under commercial conditions. A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines identified 95 pig welfare indicators (PWIs) categorized into physiological, behavioral, health and post-mortem, and product quality. The review evaluated their validity and feasibility (V&F) for use in abattoirs to measure welfare during transport and slaughter. Thirty V&F indicators were found: one physiological (body temperature), 12 behavioral (human-animal relationship, aggression, falling, vocalization, slipping, panting, lying down, sitting, turning back), 13 health and post-mortem (presence of entry points, hernias, body lesions, ear lesions, tail lesions, pericarditis, pneumonia, bursitis, lameness, dead animals, walking and non-walking animals), and four product quality (pH, bruises, body condition, carcass weight). This information might help to identify the factors that affect the risk level of particular pig welfare problems, thereby aiding in the application of risk-based strategies.

Meat Inspection Decisions Regarding Pig Carcasses Affected by Osteomyelitis at the Slaughterhouse: From Etiopathogenesis to Total Condemnation Criteria

Osteomyelitis is a significant cause of total carcass condemnation in pigs at the slaughterhouse. The decision for total condemnation of a pig carcass for osteomyelitis is often based on traditional perceptions of the risk of pyaemia, leading to controversy among Official Veterinarians (OV) in the industry. This review aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the etiopathogenesis of osteomyelitis in pigs, the microorganisms involved, and the risk factors. It also highlights the urgent need for a more uniform method to evaluate osteomyelitis cases, which could significantly reduce economic losses in the industry. Lesions originating from tail-biting, tail docking, castration, teeth resection, and raw management are described as risk factors for osteomyelitis. Osteomyelitis is caused by the entry of pathogens into the animal's bloodstream through an open wound. Trueperella monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus spp. are the most described pathogens. At slaughter, OVs condemn carcasses with osteomyelitis due to pyaemia. Signs of acute disease are essential to identify pyaemia cases. In chronic cases, total carcass condemnation can be avoided depending on the number of lesions and vertebrae affected. A clear overall image of the problem would help authorities in various countries adopt a more homogenous approach.

Condemnation of Porcine Carcasses: A Two-Year Long Survey in an Italian High-Throughput Slaughterhouse

Ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection at slaughter are performed by Official Veterinarians and it is essential to identify alterations/lesions, which can make organs/carcasses unsuitable for human consumption. Obviously, carcass condemnation must be regarded as a highly undesirable event for the entire swine industry chain, as it represents the total failure of a long period of challenging work. Therefore, it seems valuable to estimate the prevalence and causes of carcasses condemnation, in order to preserve consumers' health and pig farming profitability. Bearing that in mind, the present study aimed at providing a reliable picture of the condemnation of porcine carcasses in Italy, with a special emphasis being placed upon pathological findings. Data were collected in a high-throughput abattoir located in northern Italy, where a total of 2,062,278 pigs were slaughtered during the period of study (2021-2022). Overall, 1362 pigs were considered unfit for slaughtering after ante-mortem inspection, mostly because of death during transportation or in resting pens, after their arrival at the abattoir. Moreover, 2007 carcasses were condemned after post-mortem inspection. The most common causes of condemnation were severe and diffuse peritonitis, disseminated abscesses, jaundice, and erysipelas. In our opinion, the present survey may provide useful and updated information about the condemnation of pig carcasses in Italy. At the same time, it highlights the need to collect data in a more systematic and standardized way, thus making possible their comparison over time and among different geographic areas.

Ante-mortem and Post-mortem Inspection and Relationship between Findings in a North Albanian Pig Slaughterhouse

In June 2014, Albania was granted EU candidate status, thus starting a process of compliance with the membership criteria. In this context, a modern meat inspection approach in line with the European legislation was applied to a pig slaughterhouse in northern Albania in order to investigate the ante-mortem (AM) and post-mortem (PM) conditions and the relationship between these findings. For this purpose, 3930 pigs divided into 35 batches were evaluated over a 3-month period. The most frequent AM conditions recorded were tail lesions and dyspnea (9.1%), followed by skin (8.9%) and ear lesions (8.5%), while in the PM inspections, pleuritis was the most frequently observed condition (10.2%), followed by pneumonia (8.5%), liver alterations (5.7%), milk spot liver (3.8%), and pericarditis (3.3%). With the exception of liver alterations, the other PM lesions mentioned were positively associated with lesions on the ears (OR = 1.036; p < 0.001) and skin (OR = 1.026; p = 0.011) and dyspnea (OR = 1.021; p = 0.005), confirming the link between these variables and the health and welfare conditions of pigs on farms. Overall, the evidence that emerged from this Albanian slaughterhouse can be considered in line with other European contexts, especially in light of the considerable variability in the data present in the literature.

The Importance of the Slaughterhouse in Surveilling Animal and Public Health: A Systematic Review

From the point of public health, the objective of the slaughterhouse is to guarantee the safety of meat in which meat inspection represent an essential tool to control animal diseases and guarantee the public health. The slaughterhouse can be used as surveillance center for livestock diseases. However, other aspects related with animal and human health, such as epidemiology and disease control in primary production, control of animal welfare on the farm, surveillance of zoonotic agents responsible for food poisoning, as well as surveillance and control of antimicrobial resistance, can be monitored. These controls should not be seen as a last defensive barrier but rather as a complement to the controls carried out on the farm. Regarding the control of diseases in livestock, scientific research is scarce and outdated, not taking advantage of the potential for disease control. Animal welfare in primary production and during transport can be monitored throughout ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection at the slaughterhouse, providing valuable individual data on animal welfare. Surveillance and research regarding antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at slaughterhouses is scarce, mainly in cattle, sheep, and goats. However, most of the zoonotic pathogens are sensitive to the antibiotics studied. Moreover, the prevalence at the slaughterhouse of zoonotic and foodborne agents seems to be low, but a lack of harmonization in terms of control and communication may lead to underestimate its real prevalence.

Assessment of slaughterhouse-based measures as animal welfare indicators in fattening pigs

In recent years, there has been growing interest in the assessment of animal welfare in slaughterhouses. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of slaughter-based measures as animal welfare indicators and evaluate the relationships between these indicators and the sociodemographic characteristics of livestock drivers and transport conditions for fattening pigs in a commercial slaughterhouse. A total of 1,161 heavy pigs (105.6 ± 14.15 kg), from 22 commercial farms, were evaluated. Pigs were assessed ante mortem, during lairaging, by evaluating the number, location, and color of skin lesions, tail length, and the presence or absence of biting lesions, lameness, cough, rectal or vaginal prolapse, and umbilical hernia. Pulmonary lesions, pleuritis, pericarditis, and liver lesions were also recorded postmortem. A descriptive analysis was performed on antemortem and postmortem indicators to estimate their prevalence, and the relationships among antemortem and postmortem indicators were analyzed using two multilevel mixed-effects models—a linear regression and a logistic regression analysis— with the farm of origin as a fixed effect. Cough was present in 18.9% (n = 219) of pigs, whereas the prevalence of tail biting lesions (4.6%, n = 53), rectal prolapse (0.1%, n = 11), and vaginal prolapse (0.1%, n = 11) was low. As regards lesion shape, linear lesions accounted for the majority of skin lesions (55.8%, n = 648), followed by comma-shaped (34.7%, n = 403), diffuse (6.9%, n = 80), and rectangular lesions (2.5%, n = 29). Only 25.2% (n = 512) of lesions were bright red. At postmortem, pulmonary lesions were noted in 34.2 ± 13.5 (mean ± SEM) pigs, and were more prevalent in the cranial (11.9 ± 4.9) and medium lobes (12.2 ± 5.2); the caudal (5.3 ± 2.7) and accessory lobes (1.6 ± 1.6) were less affected. The number of skin lesions was significantly associated with drivers’ age, job experience (years), and marital status (p ≤ 0.001). The presence or absence of tail lesions was strongly associated with the number of skin lesions, scoring of pulmonary lesions, and animal live weight (p ≤ 0.001). Antemortem and postmortem indicators at slaughterhouses with low annual slaughter volumes can provide key information for disease monitoring and animal welfare.

A flexible tool for the assessment of the economic cost of pig disease in growers and finishers at farm level

Pigmeat is the most consumed red meat globally and consumption is expected to continue to increase. The sector is faced by the risk of epidemic and endemic disease impacts and other adverse influences. The aim of this study was to develop a dynamic simulation model of pig growing and finishing that can be used to model the financial and economic impacts of a variety of scenarios both related to disease effects and other influences on production. The model consists of a physical performance module and financial performance module. The core of the physical performance module comprises three stocks to model the flow of pigs from purchase to slaughter. Mortality rates, daily live weight gain and feed conversion ratios influence the dynamics of the physical performance. Since contracts between farmers and slaughterhouses often include large price penalties for over- and underweight pigs, carcase weight distribution is an important determinant of revenues. The physical performance module, therefore, simulates slaughter weight variations. The financial performance module calculates revenue, costs and gross margins. The revenue calculations take into account price penalties for over- and underweight pigs. To demonstrate the capabilities of the model, we apply the model to assess the economic consequences of production impacts associated with respiratory disease. We use estimated production impacts associated with respiratory disease from a study of all-in-all out growing and finishing systems based on pig production data and information from slaughterhouse monitoring in the UK. Our model suggests a reduction in the gross margin of nearly 40 % as a consequence of the estimated production impacts associated with a 10% increase in respiratory disease prevalence. Due to the lack of reliable information on slaughter weight variation, we also simulate the model using different assumptions about the slaughter weight distribution. An increase in the standard deviation of carcase weights from 8 kg to 12 kg, holding average weights constant, more than halves gross margins under our scenarios. We suggest that for all-in-all-out systems, carcase weight variation is likely to be a substantial factor in reducing income in the presence of respiratory disease and the economic impact of respiratory disease may be underestimated if the effects of disease on variation in carcase weights are not included in any analysis.

Identification of key interactions of benzimidazole resistance-associated amino acid mutations in Ascaris β-tubulins by molecular docking simulations

Ascaris species are soil-transmitted helminths that infect humans and livestock mainly in low and middle-income countries. Benzimidazole (BZ) class drugs have predominated for many years in the treatment of Ascaris infections, but persistent use of BZs has already led to widespread resistance in other nematodes, and treatment failure is emerging for Ascaris. Benzimidazoles act by binding to β-tubulin proteins and destabilising microtubules. Three mutations in the β-tubulin protein family are associated with BZ resistance. Seven shared β-tubulin isotypes were identified in Ascaris lumbricoides and A. suum genomes. Benzimidazoles were predicted to bind to all β-tubulin isotypes using in silico docking, demonstrating that the selectivity of BZs to interact with one or two β-tubulin isotypes is likely the result of isotype expression levels affecting the frequency of interaction. Ascaris β-tubulin isotype A clusters with helminth β-tubulins previously shown to interact with BZ. Molecular dynamics simulations using β-tubulin isotype A highlighted the key role of amino acid E198 in BZ-β-tubulin interactions. Simulations indicated that mutations at amino acids E198A and F200Y alter binding of BZ, whereas there was no obvious effect of the F167Y mutation. In conclusion, the key interactions vital for BZ binding with β-tubulins have been identified and show how mutations can lead to resistance in nematodes.

Applying Bipartite Network Analysis and Ordination Technique to Evaluate Long-Term Data from Veterinary–Sanitary Examination of Slaughtered Pigs

Simple Summary

Veterinary inspections in abattoirs are important in the surveillance of zoonotic diseases. This study is based on veterinary inspection reports providing data about the diseases and welfare issues of 231 million pigs slaughtered in 16 regions of Poland between 2009 and 2019. Over 80 million slaughtered pigs were found with pathological changes that could pose a risk to human health. The most frequently observed changes were abscesses, soiling, faecal or other contaminations, and congestions, together accounting for 77.6% of the total infections. Statistical approaches conducted with the use of long-term data can help identify the most problematic health and welfare issues in slaughterhouses. The results of this study showed that changes related to poor animal welfare (purulent foci, contamination, congestion) and parasitic diseases accounted for the majority of the identified cases of condemnation.

Abstract

Animal and meat inspections in abattoirs are important in the surveillance of zoonotic diseases. Veterinary inspections in abattoirs can provide useful data for the management of health and welfare issues of humans and animals. Using the network analysis and ordination technique, in this study, we analyzed the data from 11 years of veterinary inspections in pig slaughterhouses from 16 regions in Poland. Based on the huge data set of 80,187,639 cases of diseases and welfare issues of pigs, the most frequent livestock diseases were identified to be abscesses, soiling, faecal or other contaminations, and congestions, which together accounted for 77.6% of the total condemnations. Spatial and temporal differences in swine diseases between the Polish regions were recognized using the above-mentioned statistical approaches. Moreover, with the use of a quite novel method, not used yet in preventive veterinary medicine, called a heatmap, the most problematic disease and welfare issues in each region in Poland were identified. The use of statistical approaches such as network analysis and ordination technique allow for identification of the health and welfare issues in slaughterhouses when dealing with long-term inspection data based on a very large number of cases, and then have to be adopted in current veterinary medicine.

Food chain information systems in medium- and smallsized slaughterhouses of central Italy and organ and carcass condemnations: A five-year survey

The flow of information between farms and slaughterhouses about animal health, is a fundamental process for modern meat inspection. The information provided by Food Chain Information (FCI) systems in medium-small sized slaughterhouses in central Italy, focusing on the data provided on the animal's health status, was performed through a five-year survey together with the number of organ and carcass condemnation for bovine, swine and ovine. The annual prevalence of condemnation was higher in bovine (from 10.49% in 2015 to 17.16% in 2019) than swine (from 6.39% in 2015 to 12.64% in 2019) and ovine (from 8.05% in 2019 to 8.98% in 2017), and an overall prevalence increase was observed in bovine and swine, throughout the years. The frequent lack of Food Chain Information (FCI) from farms to slaughterhouses should be emphasised, taking into consideration that a poor implementation of the system by farmers, could lead to a persistent risk of disease at farm level for these two species.

Ascariasis in a 75-year-old man with small bowel volvulus: a case report

Background

Ascaris lumbricoides and Ascaris suum are the most common soil-transmitted helminths of humans and pigs, respectively. The zoonotic potential of A. suum has been a matter of debate for decades. This study was aimed to present a case of human ascariasis caused by A. suum in southern Italy.

Case presentation

A 75-year-old man presented to the department of surgery in Avellino (southern Italy) complaining of abdominal pain and vomiting. Physical examination revealed bloating and abdominal tenderness. A computed tomography scan showed air-fluid levels and small bowel distension. During exploratory laparotomy a small bowel volvulus with mesenteritis was evident and surprisingly an intraluminal worm was detected. The worm was removed with a small enterotomy and identified as an adult female of A. suum based on morphological and molecular analysis. Faecal examination revealed the presence of unfertilized Ascaris eggs with an intensity of 16 eggs per gram (EPG) of faeces. The patient was treated with mebendanzole 100 mg twice a day for 3 days. The post-operative course was regular with re-alimentation after 3 days and discharge after 12 days.

Conclusions

This report shows as A. suum can function as a relevant agent of human zoonosis. Therefore, in patients with bowel obstruction with no evident aetiology a helminthic infestation should be considered for an accurate diagnosis, especially in patients living in rural areas.

Predictivity of Antemortem Findings on Postmortem Inspection in Italian Heavy Pigs Slaughterhouses

Simple Summary

Inspections of pigs before (antemortem) and after (postmortem) being slaughtered are part of the official controls carried out in European abattoirs. The ability of data obtained from the antemortem inspections to predict lesions eventually found during postmortem inspections has not been thoroughly investigated so far. In this study, data obtained from inspections performed both ante- and postmortem in heavy pigs slaughtered in Italy were analyzed, determining the prevalence of the most common lesions and conditions found during the ante- and postmortem inspections and exploring the correlation between these findings. The most common findings were the presence of manure on more than the 30% of the body and pleurisy for antemortem and postmortem inspections, respectively. Some conditions found during the antemortem inspections were predictive of lesions reported during postmortem inspections. For instance, respiratory and kidney lesions were more likely to occur in pigs presenting manure on more than the 30% of the body, whereas dermatitis and skin wounds were more likely to be present in pigs showing skin lesions during the antemortem inspections. The results of this study show that information obtained from the antemortem inspection of pigs can be useful to characterize farms using a risk-based approach and to address the organization of official controls in slaughterhouses.

Abstract

Pigs slaughtered in European abattoirs must be submitted to antemortem inspection (AMI) and postmortem inspection (PMI), as required by the current European legislation in the matter of official controls. AMI and PMI are equally essential to guarantee food safety and to monitor swine health and welfare. However, little is known about the ability of AMI to predict conditions that are possibly found during PMI. In this study, such a correlation was explored together with the assessment of conditions typically found during AMI and PMI in heavy pigs slaughtered in two Italian slaughterhouses. An assessment scheme containing 13 variables for AMI and 34 lesions for PMI was used for the scope. The herd size was also considered as a variable and included in the study. A total of 24,510 pigs and 30,961 pigs were assessed during AMI and PMI, respectively. The most common conditions found were manure on the body covering more than 30% of the body (dirt >30%) and pluck lesions (‘pleurisy’, ‘pericarditis’, and ‘pneumonia’) for AMI and PMI, respectively. A significant correlation (p < 0.05) between some antemortem (AM) findings and postmortem (PM) conditions was found. In particular, the AM conditions ‘dirt >30%’and ‘skin lesions’ were positively related with PM conditions ‘skin wounds’ and ‘dermatitis’, while the complexes of respiratory and kidney lesions were predicted only by the condition ‘dirt >30%’. The variable ‘standardized herd size’ was negatively associated with ‘milk spot liver’ and positively associated with ‘arthritis/bursitis’. The results of this study show that findings reported during AMI can potentially be used to predict certain conditions found in pigs at PMI. These data can be useful for the competent authorities in characterizing swine farms using a risk-based approach and in developing systems and specific plans for official controls.

Agricultural Holdings and Slaughterhouses' Impact on Patterns of Pathological Findings Observed during Post-Mortem Meat Inspection

Simple Summary

The pig sector represents one of the most economically important farming sectors in the European Union. Farmers and their veterinarians are responsible for ensuring animal health as well as sending healthy animals for slaughter. At slaughter, official veterinarians conduct meat inspections to ensure that only meat fit for human consumption enters the food processing chain. The data collected during meat inspections can provide valuable information about herd health for the farmers, the attending veterinarians and veterinary authorities. The aim of this study was to describe the data and analyse whether these data are suitable to be used as a feedback system for farmers to enable them to improve their herd management. Data used comprised all meat inspection findings in 2016 from 4.6 million pigs originating from 9172 agricultural holdings (farms) and slaughtered in 66 slaughterhouses in Austria. Analysis showed that diseases of the lung (pneumonia, 21.9%) and of the liver (milk spots, 19.9%) were most frequently detected. The agricultural holdings, the slaughterhouses and the time periods (quarter) had an influence on the observed occurrence and composition of the prevalence of post-mortem findings. Furthermore, within the slaughterhouses, the recorded patterns of pathological findings differed, which points towards the need for further harmonisation to provide high-quality feedback to farmers and veterinarians.

Abstract

Meat inspection data can provide valuable information about herd health to producers, veterinarians and veterinary authorities and can be used as a feedback system for farmers to improve their herd management. The aim of this study was to analyse the influence of agricultural holdings, slaughterhouses and time periods (quarters) on the occurrence and composition of the prevalence of post-mortem findings of 4 million pigs slaughtered in Austria in 2016, by applying a permutation multivariate analysis of variance. Pneumonia (21.9%) and milk spots (19.9%) were the most frequently recorded conditions. Our analysis indicated a statistically significant influence of all three considered factors (agricultural holdings, slaughterhouses and periods) on the prevalence of post-mortem findings. The observed prevalence could not only be explained by the differences between the farms of origin and slaughterhouses but also by the variability within the slaughterhouses. Much of the explained variance of the prevalence was due to differences between producers (mean R² = 0.61), followed by slaughterhouses (mean R² = 0.19) and period (mean R² = 0.05). To meet the demand for a valid feedback system to farmers and attending veterinarians, a robust and ideally more detailed recording of frequent pathologies, especially those affecting the respiratory tract and the liver, should be developed.