title: Contamination of Bovine, Sheep and Goat Meat withBrucellaSpp.
abstract: A study was conducted in order to evaluate the contamination byBrucellaspp. of meat from animals slaughtered because they had resulted positive for brucellosis at some time during their life. After slaughter and before delivery to market outlets, swab samples were taken from 307 carcasses of infected animals: 40 cattle, 60 sheep and 207 goats. The swabs were subsequently analysed by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. In addition, bacteriological tests were carried out on the lymph nodes and internal organs of the same animals.Brucellaspp. was detected by means of PCR in 25/307 carcasses (8%): 1 bovine (2.5%), 9 sheep (15%) and 15 goats (7.2%) and was isolated by means of a cultural method in 136/307 carcasses (44%). Moreover, additional analysis, performed on lymph nodes from the same carcasses that had proved positive by PCR, allowed highlighting type 3Brucella abortusin the bovine carcass and type 3Brucella melitensisin the sheep and goat carcasses. The study shows that cattle, sheep and goats meat of animals slaughtered because they had tested positive for brucellosis may be contaminated byBrucellaspp. As this could constitute a real risk of transmission to both butchery personnel and consumers, the meat of animals infected byBrucellaspp. should be analysed before being marketed. In this respect, PCR technique performed on swabs proved to be more useful, practical and faster than the traditional bacteriological method.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Experimental Veterinary Medicine of Southern Italy , Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Casalinuovo
authors.affiliation: Institute for Experimental Veterinary Medicine of Southern Italy , Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ciambrone
authors.affiliation: Institute for Experimental Veterinary Medicine of Southern Italy , Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cacia
authors.affiliation: Institute for Experimental Veterinary Medicine of Southern Italy , Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rippa
keywords: Brucella spp; Food safety; Meat; Polymerase chain reaction