The Incidence of Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Yersinia enterocolitica in Swine Carcasses and the Slaughterhouse Environment

Abstract

This study was done to evaluate the degree of contamination of cooler-ready hog carcasses and the slaughterhouse environment by Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp. and Yersinia enterocolitica. Samples from diaphragms and feces were collected from 200 market hogs in a Quebec slaughterhouse. Scalding-tank water and environmental swabs were also collected in the slaughterhouse. Specimens were tested for the presence of Salmonella spp., Y. enterocolitica, and Campylobacter spp. Salmonella spp. were isolated from 45 (10%) of 448 samples. The distribution of the isolates were slaughtering floor (8.9%), feces (80.2%), cold-room floor (4.4%), and diaphragms (6.7%). Campylobacter spp. were isolated from 247 (61.7%) of 400 specimens, and C. coli, C. jejuni, and C. laridis accounted for 97%, 2%, and 1% of isolates, respectively. Ninety-nine percent of fecal samples were positive for the presence of C. coli. Y. enterocolitica was found in 42 (9.3%) of the 448 specimens. Of these, 85.7%, 11.9%, and 2.4% of the isolates came from fecal, diaphragm, and cold-room floor samples, respectively. Neither Salmonella spp. nor Y. enterocolitica were isolated from scalding-tank water.