A examine of Salmonella in horses in Italy has uncovered an outbreak that affected 17 individuals.
From June to November 2021, 146 horses, 5 donkeys and one mule have been examined for Salmonella in cecal contents and thru swabs from slaughterhouse carcasses.
Salmonella was detected 3 times in 152 cecal contents, whereas all 152 cadaver samples have been adverse. In line with the examine printed within the Worldwide Journal of Meals Microbiology, Salmonella Enteritidis, Typhimurium and Stanleyville have been recognized.
The international locations of origin of the horses have been France, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and Germany. They have been slaughtered twice every week however arrived on the slaughterhouse each day.
Outbreak identification
Salmonella was detected in June 2021 and late September 2021. 9 horses have been examined in June and two cecal samples examined constructive for Salmonella Enteritidis and Stanleyville. These animals got here from Hungary and Italy. In September, seven have been examined, and the constructive one, from Italy, carried Salmonella Typhimurium.
Taking into consideration the consumption of floor horse meat known as “pesto di cavallo” and dried and smoked strips known as “sfilacci di cavallo” in northern Italy, researchers investigated the hyperlink between horse meat and human salmonellosis on this space .
In July 2021, complete genome sequencing-based surveillance in Emilia-Romagna flagged a doable outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis, together with 9 isolates within the provinces of Piacenza, Parma and Reggio-Emilia. The primary isolation got here from Could 2021 and the final from August.
In June, a genomic match was discovered between Salmonella Enteritidis remoted from horse cecal contents and an outbreak of 17 circumstances in Emilia-Romagna.
Epidemiological investigations highlighted some circumstances of horse meat consumption. They tracked totally different batches of meat, launched inside weeks of one another, to the examine’s slaughter website. 5 of eight circumstances reported consuming uncooked horse meat.
The horse meat related to the circumstances and traced to the slaughterhouse was produced in Could and June 2021, whereas the horse carrying the outbreak pressure of Salmonella Enteritidis was slaughtered weeks later in June 2021. Because of this the meat of that animal couldn’t have contaminated these circumstances.
Environmental air pollution
Scientists stated the outbreak pressure was doubtless already current within the slaughterhouse atmosphere earlier than the horse arrived from Hungary and that environmental persistence might have induced contamination. The atmosphere might have been contaminated earlier than June and affected meat produced in early Could.
This helps the discovering that the final batch of horse meat related to circumstances got here from a horse in France and slaughtered two weeks sooner than the Hungarian animal in June 2021. It appears unlikely that two horses from totally different international locations slaughtered two weeks aside distinction will carry the identical WGS. sort of Salmonella, the researchers stated.
An official go to to the slaughterhouse discovered manure on the ground, soiled feeders and pests within the lairage space. It was required to enhance hygiene measures within the stables and on the slaughter line. The corporate additionally elevated the variety of carcasses which can be routinely examined for floor contamination by Salmonella.
The scientists stated that regardless of findings displaying a low prevalence, Salmonella in horse meat might pose a threat to the buyer.
“A key lesson from the examine is the necessity to keep a excessive stage of hygiene all through the slaughter course of. Hygiene within the barn is essential to keep away from cross-contamination between animals and meat. For that reason, steady situations should be critically evaluated and biosecurity measures should be carried out appropriately.”
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