Teaching Slaughter: Mapping Changes in Emotions in Veterinary Students during Training in Humane Slaughter.

As part of their training, Dutch veterinary students learn how to carry out the humane slaughter of livestock, which many students consider emotionally challenging. The aims of this study were to plot changes in self-reported emotions in veterinary students at different time points during an educational program on humane slaughter using emotion cards and to assess the change in reported emotions after adding a video and a short period of self-reflection to the program. Emotions were mapped in five groups of students at the beginning, middle, and end of the program by asking them to select from 40 cards depicting emotions in photo and text. Then two changes were made to the course program: a video of an expert slaughterman stunning and bleeding a bovine was shown, and the students were requested to spend 2 minutes picturing themselves carrying out the same procedures. To evaluate the effect of these improvements to the course, the following five groups of students were asked in the same way to indicate their emotions at the same three time points. Adding the video and short period of self-reflection did not change the emotions reported by students. Our results indicate that instruction in humane slaughter techniques involves a significant mental challenge for students. The use of emotion cards by teachers could provide useful insights into emotional aspects of the more challenging programs for students.

Ten years later: still a high prevalence of MRSA in slaughter pigs despite a significant reduction in antimicrobial usage in pigs the Netherlands.

OBJECTIVES: In 2005, 39% of pigs and 81% of the slaughter batches at Dutch slaughterhouses were MRSA positive. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether the 50% reduction of antimicrobial usage in finishing pigs in 2014 compared with 2009 in the Netherlands has led to a lower MRSA prevalence among Dutch slaughter pigs. METHODS: Nasal swabs from eight slaughter batches of on average 10 animals at seven slaughterhouses were taken and cultured using method 1, which was used in 2005, and method 2, using high-salt pre-enrichment. Suspected isolates were confirmed by PCR for two Staphylococcus aureus-specific DNA fragments and the mecA gene. A subset of MRSA isolates were further investigated using spa typing, multiple-locus variable number of tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. RESULTS: Using methods 1 and 2, we found 461 of 558 (83%) and 552 of 558 (99%) of the pigs to carry MRSA in their nares, respectively. All 56 slaughter batches were MRSA positive. All MRSA isolates belonged to the livestock-associated MLVA complex 398, had a non-WT phenotype for tetracycline and spa type t011 predominated. CONCLUSIONS: A very high prevalence of nasal MRSA carriage was found in Dutch slaughter pigs and therefore the reduction in antimicrobial usage at the national level has not yet had an effect on the MRSA carriage rate of pigs entering the slaughterhouse. Therefore, there is still an increased risk of MRSA carriage for personnel working at pig slaughterhouses, particularly those having contact with living animals. Method 2, using high salt pre-enrichment, detected more MRSA-positive pigs and is currently the preferred method for screening of MRSA in livestock in the Netherlands.

High prevalence of acute hepatitis E virus infection in pigs in Dutch slaughterhouses.

Hepatitis E is caused by hepatitis E virus (HEV), one of the causes of acute viral hepatitis. Domestic pigs are considered as the main reservoir of HEV-3. The recently reported high prevalence of HEV in liver- and meat products on the Dutch market warranted a cross-sectional prevalence study on HEV infection among 5-6 months old pigs slaughtered in the Netherlands (n = 250). For this, liver, caecum content and blood samples were analyzed for the presence of genomic HEV RNA by RT-PCR. In addition, a serological test was performed to detect HEV IgG. Background information was retrieved on the corresponding farms to evaluate potential risk factors for HEV at pig slaughter age. HEV IgG was detected in sera from 167 pigs (67.6 %). HEV RNA was detected in 64 (25.6 %) caecum content samples, in 40 (16.1 %) serum samples and in 25 (11.0 %) liver samples. The average level of viral contamination in positive samples was log10 4.6 genome copies (gc)/g (range 3.0-8.2) in caecum content, log10 3.3 gc/ml (range 2.4-5.9) in serum and log10 3.2 gc/0.1 g (range 1.7-6.2) in liver samples. Sequence analyses revealed HEV-3c only. Ten times an identical strain was detected in two or three samples obtained from the same pig. Each animal in this study however appeared to be infected with a unique strain. The presence of sows and gilts and welfare rating at the farm of origin had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on the distribution over the four groups representing different stages of HEV infection based on IgG or RNA in caecum and/or serum. The observed proportion of tested pigs with viremia (16 %) was higher than in other reported studies and was interestingly often observed in combination with a high number of HEV genome copies in liver and caecum content as detected by RT-qPCR. Data provided will be useful for risk assessment for food safety of pork products, will provide baseline data for future monitoring of HEV infections in pigs and new thoughts for mitigation strategies.