PRESENCE OF Salmonella sp. IN SWINE CARCASSES SAMPLED AT DIFFERENT POINTS OF THE PROCESSING LINE

Abstract

Salmonella sp. is responsible for infections in pigs and in human being important for public health and meat production. With the aim of detecting the presence of Salmonella sp. on pig carcasses throughout the slaughter line, as well as to identify the serovars and serology results, three visits to a slaughterhouse in the state of Santa Catarina were done. In each visit, 15 blood samples were collected and, at the slaughter line, six carcasses were sampled. From each carcass, four swabs were collected (after scalding, flaming, evisceration and washing) on a 300 cm2 (20 X 15) area from the fore-part. From the same carcasses fragments from the intestine were also collected. In each visit swabs from the saw, lairage floor, and water from scalding tank were collected. Salmonella sp. was isolated from seven carcass swabs (one after scalding and dehairing, four after evisceration and two after washing), as well as from one swab from the floor, one water sample, and six intestine content samples. Serovars  Typhimurium (7/15 or 46.7%) and Derby (4/15 or 26.7%) were the most frequent. The serology identified 71.1% positive animals.

KEY WORDS: Carcasses, slaughter line, swines, Salmonella.