title: Inspection of lymph nodes for caseous lymphadenitis and its effect on the density of microbes on sheep carcasses.
abstract: This study aimed to measure the amount of microbial contamination caused by inspecting the lymph nodes of adult sheep carcasses for caseous lymphadenitis (CLA). Surface swabs from carcasses pre-inspection (N=296) and post-inspection (N=296) were obtained for enumeration of indicator organisms at three commercial abattoirs. At the scapular site, inspection doubled the probability of detecting E. coli (Pr before=0.35, Pr after=0.67) and increased the expected count of E. coli from 2 cfu/cm² to 13 cfu/cm². Inspection at the rump site increased the probability of detecting E. coli by 1.1 times (Pr before=0.84, Pr after=0.93) and increased the expected count from 32 cfu/cm² to 45 cfu/cm². Effects were also observed for Enterobacteriaceae and total viable count. The findings show that routine inspection of adult sheep carcasses for CLA has a detrimental impact on carcass microbiological traits.
authors.affiliation: New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, 1243 Bruxner Highway, Wollongbar, NSW 2478, Australia. david.jordan@dpi.nsw.gov.au
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Sentance
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Spooncer
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Balan
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Morris
mesh_terms: D000003:Abattoirs; D000818:Animals; D002081:Buttocks; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003354:Corynebacterium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D005513:Food Inspection; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008199:Lymphadenitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000662:veterinary; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D009517:New South Wales; D010173:Palpation / Q000009:adverse effects; D011336:Probability; D012540:Scapula; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D013499:Surface Properties