A Quantitative Assessment of Causes of Bovine Liver Condemnation and Its Implication for Food Security in the Eastern Cape Province South Africa

Histopathological changes and oxidative stress associated with Fascioliasis in bovines

Fascioliasis, a prevalent disease in livestock globally, is primarily caused by the trematode parasites Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica. This parasitic infection leads to significant economic repercussions. In this study, our objective was to gain insight into the pathophysiological consequences of Fascioliasis in cattle through the evaluation of metabolic, oxidative stress, and histological parameters. A thorough investigation was carried out on the liver of 197 bovines after their slaughter, which unveiled the occurrence of Fascioliasis, with a prevalence rate of 13.2% observed. The bovine that were infected exhibited notable increase in serum transaminases (ALT, AST, and ALP) and malondialdehyde (MDA) and catalase (CAT) while the decrease in glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels. The lipid profile analysis of infected cattle revealed alterations in the cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Moreover, the histopathological examination revealed a range of hepatic lesions associated with Fascioliasis, including necrosis, inflammation, fibrosis, and proliferative alterations. The bile ducts also displayed distinct pathological changes, including hyperplasia, thickening, and edema, and harbored various developmental stages of Fasciola spp. highlighting the parasitic infestation's effects on the biliary system. These results highlight the serious effects of Fascioliasis on lipid metabolism and the oxidative damage that is induced in the livers of cattle. Thus, Fasciola infestation in bovine causes alteration in biochemical and antioxidant activities, which are considered as important factors in the diagnosis of Fascioliasis.

Financial Losses Arising from Cattle Organ and Carcass Condemnation at Lokoloko Abattoir in Wau, South Sudan

Slaughterhouses in South Sudan mirror the economic losses resulting from cattle organs and carcass condemnation due to zoonotic and epizootic diseases of livestock, such as tuberculosis, cysticercosis, and hydatidosis in cattle. However, due to the war, slaughterhouse record keeping has been inconsistent in South Sudan, and thus the estimation of diseases in cattle and their impact may be underestimated. Therefore, this study was conducted to estimate the major causes of carcasses and organ condemnation of cattle slaughtered at Lokoloko abattoir and the resulting financial losses. A cross-sectional active abattoir survey involving antemortem and postmortem examinations was conducted on 310 cattle between January 2021 and March 2021. Furthermore, five-year (September 2015–September 2020) retrospective data on meat inspection records were also collected and analyzed. During the antemortem inspection of the active abattoir survey, 103 (33.2%) cattle had signs of disease. These signs included herniam 17 (5.5%), local swelling 16 (5.2%), lameness 15 (4.8%), emaciation 13 (4.2%), blindness 12 (3.9%), depression 11 (3.5%), pale mucus membrane 7 (2.3%), nasal discharge 5 (1.6%), lacrimation 4 (1.3%), and salivation 03 (0.97%). Postmortem inspection revealed gross pathological findings on 180 (58.6%) carcasses, out of which 47 (26.1%) livers and 31 (17.2%) hearts were condemned due to various causes. The active abattoir survey and the retrospective data revealed that tuberculosis, fascioliasis, hydatidosis, and heart cysticercosis were the leading causes of condemnation of carcasses and organs. In the active abattoir survey, a total of 19,592,508 South Sudanese Pounds, equivalent to US$29,686 was lost from organ condemnation, while in the retrospective data; the overall direct financial loss during the five years was estimated to be 299,225,807 South Sudanese Pounds equivalent to US$453,372. This study revealed that bacterial and parasitic diseases were the common causes of carcass and organ condemnations and caused significant financial losses at Lokoloko abattoir in Wau, South Sudan. Therefore, there is a need for training farmers on cattle disease management, heightened meat inspections, and proper disposal of condemned meat.

Perspectives of economic losses due to condemnation of cattle and buffalo carcasses in the northern region of Brazil

The work aims to study the economical losses of the condemnation of bovine and buffalo carcasses, in order to estimate the losses in animals slaughtered in Santarém-Pará, Brazil, between 2016 and 2018, with data obtained from the Municipal Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. Sex, age, origin, total number of animals slaughtered and causes of condemnation of carcasses were considered. All analyzes were performed in RStudio version 1.1.463. In this study, 71,277 bovine carcasses and 2,016 buffalo carcasses were inspected, of which 300 bovine and 71 buffalo were condemned. The highest prevalence of causes of condemnation in cattle was recorded for brucellosis (0.0020%) and tuberculosis (0.0019%). In buffaloes, tuberculosis (0.0307%) peritonitis (0,0019%) were the main causes of condemnations. Economical losses were more evident in females, for both species. The projection of economical losses related to the condemnation of carcasses showed a sharp growth for the next three years, if the average growth remains constant. The biggest projected loss was for bovine females, with an accumulated projection of $ 5,451.44. The smallest estimated loss was for buffalo males, projected at more than thirty-two thousand reais. The most important causes of condemnation report the diseases brucellosis and tuberculosis, as the ones with the greatest impact. In the buffalo species this was even more accentuated, even though the number of buffaloes slaughtered is more than 35 times smaller than the number of cattle.

Occurrence of Fasciola (Digenea: Fasciolidae) Species in Livestock, Wildlife and Humans, and the Geographical Distribution of Their Intermediate Hosts in South Africa—A Scoping Review

This review was conducted to provide an update on the status of the occurrence of Fasciola species in livestock, wildlife and humans, and the geographical distribution of snail intermediate host (IH) species in South Africa. The literature search was conducted on four electronic databases using the Boolean operators in combination with predetermined search terms for thematic analysis. Results showed that Fasciola species have been reported in six out of nine provinces of South Africa in the last six decades (1960–2021), with both F. hepatica and F. gigantica infecting vertebrate hosts and F. hepatica and Fasciola spp infecting humans. Results also showed that most studies relied on morphological identification of eggs and flukes without molecular confirmation, which might have led to the misidentification of specimens, especially when immature. Fasciola hepatica has been documented in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. The occurrences of Galba truncatula as the probable snail IH for F. hepatica in the three provinces has been documented while Pseudosuccinea columella has only been documented in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. The occurrence of F. gigantica to date has been reported in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, with overlapping distribution with F. hepatica. Radix natalensis, the main IH of F. gigantica has been documented in all the three provinces, while the two alien Radix species (R. auricularia and R. rubiginosa) were documented in KwaZulu-Natal province and have been implicated elsewhere with the transmission of F. gigantica. The presence of Fasciola spp eggs and antibodies in humans were documented in the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape provinces, where both P. columella and G. truncatula are known to be present. The prevalence of Fasciola spp infection in livestock ranged from 9.1 to 37.67 %, with an estimated annual financial loss ranging from R44930.26-129901 in cattle production in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. This review reaffirms the scarcity of information on the occurrence and burden of fasciolosis in South Africa, and further highlights the importance of future research covering all provinces of the country and assessing the public health significance of the disease in resource-poor livestock communities in the areas where the parasite is endemic.

Prevalence of Fascioliasis and Associated Economic Losses in Cattle Slaughtered at Lira Municipality Abattoir in Northern Uganda

Fascioliasis (liver fluke infestation) is one of the most important parasitic diseases affecting cattle, other ruminant animals and humans. Fascioliasis causes large, but usually neglected, economic losses to cattle farmers and traders. The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence and associated risks for fascioliasis in slaughter cattle and estimate the financial losses due to liver condemnation at the Lira Municipal abattoir in Uganda. A total of 216 cattle were sampled during the study period. Animal breed and sex were determined by observing the phenotypic characteristics of the animals. Age was determined by assessing the eruption and wearing of permanent teeth. After slaughter, the liver was examined for presence of Fasciola spp. (liver flukes) by visual inspection, palpation, and incisions. The bile ducts and gall bladder were similarly examined for presence of mature Fasciola spp. The gross weight and amount of liver trimmed-off due to fluke infestation were determined. Of the 216 liver examined, 65.7% (n = 142) were infested with Fasciola spp. Cattle that were aged 4-5 years old at the time of slaughter had significantly greater odds (OR = 5.84; CI [2.79-12.22]) of being infested with Fasciola spp. compared to those that were younger than 3.5 years old. In contrast, cattle that had a body condition score of 3.5 or 4 had lower odds (OR= 0.42; CI [0.21-0.88] and OR = 0.22; CI [0.04-1.10]) of fascioliasis than those with a BCS of 3. Other tested variables including animal origin, breed, sex, and gross weight of the liver had no significant effect on the prevalence of fascioliasis. This study also revealed that the abattoir loses an estimated 38 million UGX annually due to condemnation of Fasciola-infested liver (one UGX= 0.00027 USD; July 2016). Our study showed that the prevalence of fascioliasis was high in Lira District, Uganda, which results in a large amount of liver being condemned and destroyed, leading to financial losses for affected farmers in the area. Therefore, there is a need to take the necessary preventive measures to control the disease and increase awareness among farmers and medical personnel in the area due to the zoonotic nature of fascioliasis.

Antimicrobial Resistance Phenotype of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli Isolates Obtained from Meat in the Formal and Informal Sectors in South Africa

BACKGROUND

Foodborne diseases (FBD) caused by resistant pathogens are a global public health problem. One main driver of the increasing FBD incidence is the transfer of pathogenic organisms from animal guts to carcasses during processing and subsequent transfer from meat products to consumers.

METHODS

In this study, meat samples from abattoirs in the formal meat sector (FMS) (n = 140) and slaughter points in the informal meat sector (IMS) (n = 104) were collected for microbial detection and phenotypic AMR determination using polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS

The antibiogram of Staphylococcus aureus isolates revealed that resistance to clindamycin (74.3%) and ampicillin (59.5%) was highest in the FMS, while resistance to penicillin (83.8%) and tetracycline (82.1%) was highest in the IMS. Escherichia coli isolates show significant resistance to chloramphenicol (90.7%) and tetracycline (82.3%) in the FMS. Likewise, resistance to tetracycline (92.3%) and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (87.5%) was highest in the IMS. The multiple antibiotic resistance index (MARI) for S. aureus and E. coli ranged from 0.3 to 0.8 and 0.2 to 0.5, respectively.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests high-level contamination of meat with resistant pathogens and highlights the public health consequences associated with consuming such unhygienic products.

Molecular characterisation of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella enterica isolates recovered from meat in South Africa

Salmonella enterica is a leading cause of human gastroenteritis in both developed and developing countries, causing significant economic losses on humans and animals worldwide. There are several routes for contracting salmonellosis, but the consumption of contaminated foods is by far the most frequent cause of human infections. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and resistance determinants of S. enterica isolates obtained from meat. Swab samples from meat were cultured for the identification of Salmonella spp., and 239 presumptive S. enterica isolates were recovered, purified and kept in glycerol stocks. The S. enterica. confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were further tested against 15 antimicrobials using the disc-diffusion method on Muller-Hinton agar and the genotypic antimicrobial resistance determinants by PCR. Resistance among tetracyclines, bêta-lactams, and 3rd generation cephalosporins was found to be most frequent with a noticeable rise in the number of multi-drug resistance ranging from two to seven antimicrobials. A total of 20 resistance determinants were assessed with their prevalence and distributions obtained as follows; [aminoglycosides: aadA (89%), aacC2 (100%), aphA1 (38%), aphA2 (0%) and strA (7%)], [β-lactams: (ampC 100%), blaTEM, (33%), blaZ (17%) and blaOXA (10%)], [Chloramphenicol: catI (9%), catII (7%), and cmIA1 (10%)] and [tetracyclines: tetA (57%), tetB (30%), tetC (11%), tetD (73%), tetK (20%) and tetM, (43%)], and [sulfonamides: sulI (82%), sulII (7%)]. The findings signify a high prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) S. enterica isolates and resistance determinants indicating increased public health risks associated with the consumption of contaminated meat.

Aerobic Mesophilic, Coliform, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus Counts of Raw Meat from the Formal and Informal Meat Sectors in South Africa

Foodborne disease (FBD) is a global public health concern, and foods from animal sources have been associated with outbreaks of food-related illness. In this study, animal carcasses from the two abattoirs (HT1 and HT2) in the formal meat sector (FMS) and slaughter points in the informal meat sector (INMS) were examined at two stages of slaughter (before washing and after washing) for aerobic colony counts (ACC) and total viable count (TCC), as well as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus count. At each stage, carcasses were sampled by swabbing at the neck, brisket, flank, and rump. ACC for beef, mutton, and pork carcasses at HT1 and HT2 before washing were between 2.5–5.8, 2.2–4.7, and 2.7–3.7 mean log CFU/cm², respectively, and TCC count before washing was highest on the neck of cattle (6.3 ± 2.4) and after washing was highest on the perineal of sheep (5.7 ± 6.9). In the INMS, TCC count was highest on the brisket (6.9 ± 3.2) and in the neck (5.5 ± 2.4). Higher ACC values of 6.2–6.7 mean log CFU/cm² were obtained in the INMS. The highest count for E. coli (4.2 mean log CFU/cm²) after washing was in the neck, while the highest count for S. aureus (4.0 mean log CFU/cm²) was in the flank. All bacteria count in the INMS exceeded acceptable limits, and washing did not significantly reduce microbial load in meat in the FMS and INMS. Bacteria count in the FMS and INMS exceeded acceptable standards. However, meat processed in the INMS poses a more significant risk of FBD to consumers.

Factors responsible for the post-slaughter loss of carcass and offal's in abattoirs in South Africa

Global demand for food is surging upward due to the expansion of human population. Hence food production and supply need to double with little or no waste to meet this demand. Food loss at any point in the farm to fork chain inhibits the stability of food security at household and national level. A retrospective (AR) and a post mortem meat inspection (PMMI) study to identify major causes of offal and carcass condemnation was conducted in three abattoirs namely, Adeliade, Queenstown and East London abattoirs represented as AD, QT, and EL respectively. The retrospective study revealed the main causes of tongue condemnation as abscess (0.08%, 0.03% and 0.05%) and actinobacillosis (0.02%, 0% and 0.02%) respectively. The spleen was condemned due to abscess (0.35%, 0.94% and 0.17%) and splenomegaly (0.21%, 0.55% and 0.2%). The heart was condemned due to cyst (0.24%, 0.36% and 0.2%) and inflammation (0.9%, 1.85%, and 0.75%). While the kidney, was condemned due to cyst (0.08%, 0.23% and 0.16%) and nephritis (0.94%, 1.01% and 1.18%). However, a greater percentage of condemnation was recorded during the active abattoir study. During the same period, partial carcass condemnations were mainly due to bruises (63.3%, 50.4% and 41.0%), abscess (7%, 6% and 14%) and improper evisceration (19%, 31% and 27%). The combined monetary loss due to offal's and carcass condemnation during the AR and PMMI study was estimated as ZAR 255194.4 (34191.5 USD) and ZAR 25958.8 (2570.2 USD) respectively. This study identified major causes of offals and carcass condemnation as abscess, bruises, actinobacillosis, cyst, inflammatory conditions and improper evisceration. It can be used as starting point information for early warning on livestock diseases of economic loss in South Africa.

Association between the Prevalence of Indigestible Foreign Objects in the Gastrointestinal Tract of Slaughtered Cattle and Body Condition Score

It is estimated that South Africa's population will be above 65 million in 2050. Thus, food production needs to triple to alleviate poverty and food insecurity. However, infectious and non-infectious diseases affect livestock productivity, thereby hampering food supply. Non-infectious disease/conditions caused by the consumption of solid waste material are rarely reported. Hence, this study investigates the occurrence and type of indigestible foreign objects (IFOs) in the stomach of slaughtered cattle in two high-throughput abattoirs (n = 4424) in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The study revealed that metallic and non-metallic indigestible objects had an overall prevalence of 63% in cattle slaughtered in Queenstown abattoir (QTA, (n = 1906)) and 64.8% at the East London abattoir (ELA, (n = 2518)). Most of the IFOs were found in the rumen (64.2% and 70.8%) and reticulum (28.5% and 20.6%) at QTA and ELA respectively. The leading IFOs in the stomach of cattle at QTA were plastics (27.7%), poly bezoars (10.7%) and ropes (10.7%), while poly bezoars (19.8%), ropes (17.6%) and stones (10.7%) were the main IFOs seen in cattle at ELA. The study showed a statistical significance (p < 0.05) between body condition score and the prevalence of indigestible objects in cattle. The study concluded that litter and waste containing IFOs could pose a threat to livestock health and productivity. The practice of good animal husbandry and efficient solid waste management will mitigate the problem of animals consuming IFOs.