Campylobacter spp. in mesenteric lymph nodes of swines slaughtered

Abstract

Campylobacter spp. is an important pathogen and is present in the intestinal tract of various animals, among them the pigs. This microorganism is responsible for the occurrence of foodborne infections and plays an important role in public health. In addition, hazardous to the welfare of consumers and causes impact on the economy. In this study we used three groups of animals (each group with 15 animals) from a farm in finishing pigs and slaughtered in a slaughterhouse under municipal inspection. Lymph nodes were collected from each carcass evaluated after the evisceration step. The results indicated 40% (18/45) positivity for Campylobacter spp. in lymph nodes of carcasses analyzed. Campylobacter spp. in lymph nodes indicate that the animals were assessed as positive before slaughter. This means that there is risk of contamination of meat to the lymph nodes, at some point of slaughter operations are disrupted. The results of this study point to the risk of contamination of pig carcasses by Campylobacter spp. And they can make a decisive contribution in the implementation of control measures more effective in refrigerating industry.