At three Swiss abattoirs, 580 @entity742 carcasses were examined at 10 sites by the wet-dry double-swab technique. The aim of this study was to obtain data on microbiological contamination at the abattoirs and to develop a procedure for monitoring slaughter hygiene. Median @entity411 ( @entity411 ) (log CFU/cm2) ranged from 2.5 to 3.8, with the brisket and neck sites showing the most extensive contamination. Enterobacteriaceae were detected on 68.1% of the carcasses and in 15.2% of the samples. The proportion of positive results ranged from 2.6% (for the hind leg and the flank at abattoir C) to 42.2% (for the perineal area at abattoir A). The percentage of samples testing positive for stx genes by polymerase chain reaction was 36.6%. A significant relationship between @entity1412 and the detection of Shiga toxin-producing @entity526 (STEC) was found for abattoirs A and B (depending on sampling site), whereas a significant relationship between Enterobacteriaceae and STEC detection was confirmed only for abattoir A (P < 0.05). In 57.1% of the 56 isolated non-O157 strains, @entity70313 genes were detected, and most of them were stx2d positive. Additional virulence factors were detected in 50% of the STEC strains, with 8.9% of these strains being eae positive, 50% being EHEC-hlyA positive, and 3.6% being astA positive. For the determination of carcass contamination, the monthly examination of 10 @entity742 carcasses for @entity1412 and Enterobacteriaceae counts in the neck, brisket, and perineal areas is recommended. This procedure is a valuable tool for the verification of slaughter hygiene according to hazard analysis critical control point principles.

Microbiological monitoring of XXXX carcass contamination in three Swiss abattoirs.

@entity742 :: ('9940', 'Species') :: ['sheep'] @entity70313 :: ('101118731', 'Gene') :: ['stx2'] @entity411 :: ('MESH:C538054', 'Disease') :: ['APCs', 'aerobic plate counts'] @entity1412 :: ('MESH:D011125', 'Disease') :: ['APC'] @entity526 :: ('562', 'Species') :: ['Escherichia coli']
@entity742 :: (9940,Species) :: ['sheep']
