Publicação
Ante mortem inspection of pigs at the slaughterhouse: procedures and relevance in risk-based post mortem inspection
| Resumo: | Swine risk-based inspection includes risk assessment for each batch to determine its suitability for visual inspection or, if deemed unsuitable, the need for additional procedures. Since the information in the food chain information (FCI) is often incomplete, its value as a risk assessment tool is reduced. Therefore, it is necessary to find other tools. Ante mortem inspection could prove promising in this regard if it is possible, through accurate and comprehensive data collection of the batch, to correlate clinical signs with post mortem lesions. Currently, ante mortem examination consists of observing the animals, with the official veterinarian standing outside in the corridors between the pens. However, the corridor layout of the pens and the animal density make it fragile to gather complete information, potentially leading to an incorrect risk assessment. To understand if there would be significant information loss, ante mortem inspection was conducted in three different locations: during unloading, outside the pens, and inside the pens. This evaluation is important because, to correctly use ante mortem inspection as a risk assessment tool, the information collected must closely reflect the actual condition of the batch. When comparing the ante mortem inspection preformed in three different locations showed that there was indeed a very significant loss of information between the inspection conducted outside the pen and the other two locations. Furthermore, comparing unloading with inside the pen observations, the last recorded more observations. These results suggest that ante mortem inspection is more effective inside de pens and should be reserved for higher-risk batches. Additionally, increased cooperation between the official veterinarian and the economic operator is essential and should allow for the evaluation of important information during unloading. To study the presence of correlations between ante mortem and post mortem conditions, data was collected during both inspections, in a case-control study at individual level involving 245 animals. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated to assess ante mortem conditions as predictors of post mortem lesions, revealing significant correlations (p < 0.05) with OR greater than 1 between coughing and pneumonia; delayed growth and pleurisy, pericarditis, arthritis, enteritis, peritonitis, and generalized lymphadenitis; lameness and arthritis and pericarditis; nonambulatory status and bone trauma; abscesses and arthritis and generalized lymphadenitis. Ante mortem inspection shows significant potential as an effective risk assessment tool, as it can correlate clinical signs with post mortem lesions. However, current methodologies result in substantial information loss, indicating the need for improved techniques, such as overhead walkways, the improvement of the FCI and the collection of information by the operators during unloading. To fully harness its potential, new methodologies must be adopted, and further studies are necessary to validate and refine these approaches for accurate risk assessment. |
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| Autores principais: | Nunes, Márcia Santos |
| Assunto: | Ante mortem inspection risk-based inspection pigs post mortem inspection |
| Ano: | 2024 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Repositório da UTAD |
| Resumo: | Swine risk-based inspection includes risk assessment for each batch to determine its suitability for visual inspection or, if deemed unsuitable, the need for additional procedures. Since the information in the food chain information (FCI) is often incomplete, its value as a risk assessment tool is reduced. Therefore, it is necessary to find other tools. Ante mortem inspection could prove promising in this regard if it is possible, through accurate and comprehensive data collection of the batch, to correlate clinical signs with post mortem lesions. Currently, ante mortem examination consists of observing the animals, with the official veterinarian standing outside in the corridors between the pens. However, the corridor layout of the pens and the animal density make it fragile to gather complete information, potentially leading to an incorrect risk assessment. To understand if there would be significant information loss, ante mortem inspection was conducted in three different locations: during unloading, outside the pens, and inside the pens. This evaluation is important because, to correctly use ante mortem inspection as a risk assessment tool, the information collected must closely reflect the actual condition of the batch. When comparing the ante mortem inspection preformed in three different locations showed that there was indeed a very significant loss of information between the inspection conducted outside the pen and the other two locations. Furthermore, comparing unloading with inside the pen observations, the last recorded more observations. These results suggest that ante mortem inspection is more effective inside de pens and should be reserved for higher-risk batches. Additionally, increased cooperation between the official veterinarian and the economic operator is essential and should allow for the evaluation of important information during unloading. To study the presence of correlations between ante mortem and post mortem conditions, data was collected during both inspections, in a case-control study at individual level involving 245 animals. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated to assess ante mortem conditions as predictors of post mortem lesions, revealing significant correlations (p < 0.05) with OR greater than 1 between coughing and pneumonia; delayed growth and pleurisy, pericarditis, arthritis, enteritis, peritonitis, and generalized lymphadenitis; lameness and arthritis and pericarditis; nonambulatory status and bone trauma; abscesses and arthritis and generalized lymphadenitis. Ante mortem inspection shows significant potential as an effective risk assessment tool, as it can correlate clinical signs with post mortem lesions. However, current methodologies result in substantial information loss, indicating the need for improved techniques, such as overhead walkways, the improvement of the FCI and the collection of information by the operators during unloading. To fully harness its potential, new methodologies must be adopted, and further studies are necessary to validate and refine these approaches for accurate risk assessment. |
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