Prevalence and Predictors of Salmonella spp. in Retail Meat Shops in Kathmandu

A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2008 to May 2009 to estimate the prevalence of Salmonella in retail meat shops in Kathmandu. The methods followed were ISO 18593:2004 for swab sample collection, ISO 6579:2002 for Salmonella isolation and manufacturer’s instructions (SIFIN®, Germany) for serotype identification. A questionnaire was used to collect information on some of the risk factors of shops likely to be associated with Salmonella identification. A total of 492 environmental swab samples (164 chopping board samples, 164 knife samples and 164 table samples) from 82 retail meat shops were analyzed. The prevalence of Salmonella positive shops was 40.2% (95% CI: 29-51). The isolation rates of Salmonella from chopping boards (36.0%), knives (32.9%) and tables (25.0%) were not significantly different (P > 0.05). Retail meat shops were 1.9 times more likely to yield Salmonella in the evening (38.2%) as compared to the morning (24.4%) (P = 0.001). S. Typhimurium (54.5%) was the most common serotype found in retail meat shops followed by S. Enteritidis (16.9%), S. Haifa (13.6%), S. Virchow (10.4%), S. Agona (3.9%) and S. enterica (0.6%). Among the risk factors examined, “hygiene status of shop”, “type of shops”, “number of person handling meats”, “number of knives used”, “number of kinds of meat sold” and “number of kinds of meat sold using different numbers of knives” were individually significantly (P < 0.05) associated with Salmonella contamination in the retail meat shops. After univariate analysis of these risk factors, a final logistic regression model with Salmonella yes or no category of shops as outcome variable identified four significant predictors. Odds ratios, indicating the likelihood increase of a shop to achieve Salmonella positivity status were 10.17 for multiple persons rather than a single person involved, 7.66 for open rather than closed shops, 9.44 for use of several knives rather than one knife and 5.18 for single kind of meat using several knives. The results of this investigation revealed that retail meat shops to a noticeable extent are Salmonella contaminated, with a considerable degree of cross-contamination between meats and personnel and equipment used during a day in processing of meats

Enterobacteriaceae counts influenced by different scalding techniques in broiler processing

In the highly automated processing in broiler abattoirs, some process steps reduce the bacterial counts and inactivate or remove pathogens, while others can lead to an increase. The present study compared the reduction of Enterobacteriaceae counts (EBCs) on breast skin samples in 3 broiler abattoirs using different scalding techniques: (A) conventional immersion scalding (360 s), (B) conventional immersion scalding with thermal treatment of the water (204 s), and (C) the AeroScalder® using hot, humid, saturated air as the scalding medium (360 s in air). In 3 commercial broiler abattoirs in Germany and The Netherlands, a total of 320 breast skin samples per abattoir (before and after scalding, after plucking, before and after chilling) and water samples from the scalders were taken and examined for EBC. After scalding, a significant EBC reduction by 0.7 log was determined only for the conventional immersion scalder (Abbatoir A); the reductions of the other 2 scalders were 0.1 log (Abattoir B) and 0.2 log (Abattoir C) and not statistically significant. The EBCs after scalding differed by up to 0.5 log cfu/g when the 3 scalders were compared, and these counts can be seen as similar. For all 3 abattoirs, the largest EBC reductions (p < 0.001) of 2.8 to 3.6 logs were found after plucking. Compared to the immersion scalders, EBCs in water samples were lowest in those taken from the AeroScalder®. Hence, we conclude that the conventional immersion scalders and the AeroScalder® reduced EBCs in a comparable manner. However, the greatest reductions in EBCs were seen after the plucking steps in the studied abattoirs, not after the scalding as such

Detection of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase (ESBL) E. coli at Different Processing Stages in Three Broiler Abattoirs

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) identified extended-spectrum β-lactamase/AmpC β-lactamase (ESBL/AmpC)-producing E. coli as one of the main priority hazards for poultry. Different studies detected ESBL-producing E. coli at broiler fattening farms and in abattoirs, concluding that poultry meat is a potential source of human infection. Broiler breast skin samples taken in three abattoirs with different scalding techniques were examined for ESBL-producing Escherichia (E.) coli and their phylogenetic groups. A total of 307 ESBL-producing E. coli isolates were found, and the abattoir with conventional immersion scalding with thermal treatment of the water had the lowest incidence. Phylogroups D/E and B1 were mostly detected, while phylogroups C, D, and E were not detected. Phylogroup B2 was detected in low proportions. The phylogroups B2 and D are important as they have been associated with urinary tract infections in humans, but were only detected in low proportions at different processing stages in this study. Since the risk for the consumer of being infected via chicken meat with ESBL-producing E. coli and E. coli of highly pathogenic phylogroups cannot be excluded, good kitchen hygiene is of great importance

A Cross-Sectional, Abattoir-Based Study

Abstract Toxigenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) are an important cause of gastroenteritis in developing countries. In Ethiopia, gastroenteritis due to food-borne disease is a leading cause of death. Yet, there is no surveillance for E. coli O157 and little is known about the carriage of this pathogen in Ethiopia’s livestock. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and levels of antimicrobial resistance of E. coli O157 in goat meat, feces, and environmental samples collected at a large abattoir in the Somali region of Ethiopia. The samples were enriched in modified tryptone broth containing novobiocin, and plated onto sorbitol MacConkey agar. Isolates were confirmed using indole test and latex agglutination. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted using the disk diffusion method. A total of 235 samples, including 93 goat carcass swabs, 93 cecal contents, 14 water, 20 hand, and 15 knife swabs were collected. Overall, six (2.5%) samples were contaminated with E. coli O157 of which two (2.1%) were isolated from cecal contents, three (3.2%) from carcass swabs, and one (7.1%) from water. All isolates were resistant to at least two of the 18 antimicrobials tested. Two isolates (33.3%) were resistant to more than five antimicrobials. Abattoir facilities and slaughter techniques were conducive to carcass contamination. This study highlights how poor hygiene and slaughter practice can result in contaminated meat, which is especially risky in Ethiopia because of the common practice of eating raw meat. We detect multi-resistance to drugs not used in goats, suggesting that drugs used to treat human infections may be the originators of antimicrobial resistance in livestock in this ecosystem. The isolation of multidrug-resistant E. coli O157 from goats from a remote pastoralist system highlights the need for global action on regulating and monitoring antimicrobial use in both human and animal populations

Rapid testing leads to the underestimation of the scrapie prevalence in an affected sheep and goat flock

To obtain a more detailed understanding of the prevalence of classical scrapie infections in a heavily affected German sheep flock (composed of 603 sheep and 6 goats), we analysed 169 sheep and 6 goats that carried the genotypes susceptible to the disease and that were therefore culled following discovery of the index case. The initial tests were performed using the Biorad TeSeE ELISA and reactive results were verified by official confirmatory methods (OIE-immunoblot and/or immunohistochemistry (IHC)) to demonstrate the deposition of scrapie-associated PrPSc in the brain stem (obex). This approach led to the discovery of 40 additional subclinically scrapie-infected sheep. Furthermore, peripheral lymphatic and nervous tissue samples of the 129 sheep and 6 goats with a negative CNS result were examined by IHC in order to identify any preclinical infections which had not already spread to the central nervous system (CNS). Using this approach we found 13 additional sheep with PrPSc depositions in the gut-associated lymph nodes (GALT) as well as in the enteric nervous system. Moreover, in most of these cases PrPSc was also deposited in the spleen and in the retropharyngeal and superficial cervical lymph nodes. Taken together, these results show a 30.3% infection prevalence in this scrapie-affected flock. Almost 7.4% of the infected animals harboured PrPSc exclusively in the peripheral lymphatic and nervous tissue and were therefore missed by the currently used testing strategy

Assessment of health problems of sheep and goats based on ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection at Addis Ababa Abattoir, Ethiopia

Introduction: Ethiopia has a rapidly growing small ruminant sector, which faces low productivity due to husbandry practices and poor health condition of the animals. A study was conducted in Ethiopia’s largest municipal abattoir with the objective to assess the health problems of sheep and goats presented for slaughter using standard ante-mortem and post-mortem methodology. Methods: A cross-sectional study using systematic random sampling was conducted on 384 sheep and 384 goats from January to July 2014. Results: Soiled skin (69.1%), poor body condition (24.3%), and nostril discharge (19.5%) were common among both species at ante-mortem examination. Gross lesions were frequent in livers (39.7%) and lungs (37.2%), while pneumonia (18.1%) and adhesions (13.8%) were frequent in the lungs of sheep and goats, indicating stress-related illness. Parasitic lesions, especially fasciolosis (19.3%) and hydatid cysts (8.1%) were significantly more common in sheep livers (p 0.05). The direct financial loss from lesions in both species was 1,077,015 ETB or 53,851 USD per year, most of which was estimated to occur from carcass bruising. Discussion: The findings indicate that reducing parasite burden and preventing carcass bruising through improved handling could significantly increase the profitability of the small ruminant meat sector in Ethiopia.

The microbiological and sensory status of dual-purpose chickens (Lohmann Dual), male Lohmann Brown Plus chickens, and conventional laying hens slaughtered in a laying hen abattoir compared to conventional broilers slaughtered in a broiler abattoir

Alternatives to conventional chicken meat and egg production are increasingly under discussion, especially because of the common practice of killing male day-old chicks from laying lines which has been banned from the beginning of 2022 in Germany and is planned to be banned during 2022 in other countries. Production of dual-purpose chicken lines is one possible solution, as such lines combine moderate laying and growth performance. The microbiological status of products from such breeds must be comparable to existing products on the market for food safety purposes. Additionally, the production of such products will take longer because of the feeding regimes required, and again, comparability should be safeguarded for the best consumer protection. The dual-purpose chicken line, Lohmann Dual (males), was compared to males from the laying line Lohmann Brown Plus, conventional laying hens (all slaughtered and processed in the same conventional laying hen abattoir), and conventional broilers (slaughtered in a conventional broiler abattoir). Neck skin samples were taken before chilling at the end of each slaughter line to determine the microbial status of the carcasses. Additionally, fresh and cooked meat sensory analysis was performed on meat from broilers and male and female Lohmann Dual and Lohmann Brown Plus chickens (for three carcasses of each group) at the German Agricultural Society Test Center in Kassel. The focus was on the performance of male Lohmann Dual compared to the other lines. There was no difference in the Enterobacteriaceae count of the dual-purpose chicken line compared to conventional broilers, whereas laying hens had a significantly higher microbial load before chilling, as based on neck skin examinations (p<0.001). According to sensory test results, the meat from dual-purpose chickens was the best (as no defects were found) among the five chicken meat types examined. In conclusion, based on their microbial status and sensory analysis of fresh and cooked meat, Lohmann Dual males slaughtered in a laying hen abattoir can be considered as an alternative to conventionally kept broilers slaughtered in a broiler abattoir

Reduced Intrinsic Non-Radiative Losses Allow Room-Temperature Triplet Emission from Purely Organic Emitters

Persistent luminescence from triplet excitons in organic molecules is rare, as fast non-radiative deactivation typically dominates over radiative transitions. This work demonstrates that the substitution of a hydrogen atom in a derivative of phenanthroimidazole with an N-phenyl ring can substantially stabilize the excited state. This stabilization converts an organic material without phosphorescence emission into a molecular system exhibiting efficient and ultralong afterglow phosphorescence at room temperature. Results from systematic photophysical investigations, kinetic modeling, excited-state dynamic modeling, and single-crystal structure analysis identify that the long-lived triplets originate from a reduction of intrinsic non-radiative molecular relaxations. Further modification of the N-phenyl ring with halogen atoms affects the afterglow lifetime and quantum yield. As a proof-of-concept, an anticounterfeiting device is demonstrated with a time-dependent Morse code feature for data encryption based on these emitters. A fundamental design principle is outlined to achieve long-lived and emissive triplet states by suppressing intrinsic non-radiative relaxations in the form of molecular vibrations or rotations

Assessment of health problems of sheep and goats based on ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection at Addis Ababa Abattoir, Ethiopia

Introduction: Ethiopia has a rapidly growing small ruminant sector, which faces low productivity due to husbandry practices and poor health condition of the animals. A study was conducted in Ethiopia’s largest municipal abattoir with the objective to assess the health problems of sheep and goats presented for slaughter using standard ante-mortem and post-mortem methodology. Methods: A cross-sectional study using systematic random sampling was conducted on 384 sheep and 384 goats from January to July 2014. Results: Soiled skin (69.1%), poor body condition (24.3%), and nostril discharge (19.5%) were common among both species at ante-mortem examination. Gross lesions were frequent in livers (39.7%) and lungs (37.2%), while pneumonia (18.1%) and adhesions (13.8%) were frequent in the lungs of sheep and goats, indicating stress-related illness. Parasitic lesions, especially fasciolosis (19.3%) and hydatid cysts (8.1%) were significantly more common in sheep livers (p 0.05). The direct financial loss from lesions in both species was 1,077,015 ETB or 53,851 USD per year, most of which was estimated to occur from carcass bruising. Discussion: The findings indicate that reducing parasite burden and preventing carcass bruising through improved handling could significantly increase the profitability of the small ruminant meat sector in Ethiopia