Effect of transportation distance and lairage time on selected behaviors and carcass parameters in zebu cattle-a study using the animal focal sampling method.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the transport distance and lairage time on behavioral indicators of zebu beef cattle in the resting pen of a slaughterhouse using the focal animal technique. Eight lots of male zebu cattle, Nelore, aged approximately 4 years old, weighing on average 500 ± 28.5 kg-1, from different municipalities, transported by land, were evaluated. The lots were grouped into two categories: short distance (> 500 km) and long distance (> 500 km). Five focal animals per evaluated lot were used in each cycle of behavior observation, randomly chosen, and visually identified. The animal focal sampling method was used, with instantaneous recording, every 5 min per animal/h. A video camera was used and placed at a fixed point in the corral. After slaughtering, bruises and carcass pH were evaluated. The respiratory rate (RR) was measured in two moments, 30 min after unloading (RR_I) and 1 h before slaughtering (RR_F); behavioral data were divided into four lairage periods (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th) equally and evaluated as repeated measures over time. The lairage time lowered the behaviors of headbutting (NCHBs), pushing (PsH), mounting (MT), and chasing away (CA), (p = 0.0001), and these behaviors were more evident in animals transported for short distances in the initial resting times, decreasing as they remained in the resting pen. There was effect of distance on the initial and final pH of the carcass, being greater in the short distance (p = 0.047). There was no effect of distance or lairage time on initial or final RR (p > 0.05). In addition, animals transported over long distances showed less carcass injuries, which were observed during post mortem inspection. It is concluded that animals transported over short distances present a greater number of agonistic behaviors, such as NCHBs, MT, PsH, and CA, predisposing to higher rates of bruising during lairage and more accentuated changes in the final pH of the meat.

Análise retrospectiva das causas de condenações de carcaças e vísceras de bovinos abatidos em abatedouros frigoríficos na Região Norte da Amazônia Oriental / Análisis retrospectivo de causas de decomiso en canales y vísceras de bovinos sacrificados en mataderos en la Región Norte de la Amazonía Oriental / Retrospective analysis of the causes of condemnations of carcasses and viscera of cattle slaughtered in slaughterhouses in the Northern Region of the Eastern Amazon

Resumo Este trabalho buscou determinar as principais causas de condenação de carcaças e de órgãos diagnosticadas pelo serviço de inspeção oficial, nos frigoríficos sob inspeção federal que atendem o estado do Pará. A quantidade total de lesões encontradas em carcaças bovinas foi de 60.511, o que representou 0,78% do total de bovinos abatidos (7.706,638) durante o período estudado. A contusão foi a maior causa encontrada em carcaças bovinas com 21.270 achados (35,1%), seguida da contaminação com 17.865 ocorrências (29,5%). Os pulmões, os rins e o fígado foram as vísceras condenadas em maior quantidade abrangendo um quantitativo de 1.038.623, 468.540 e 231.318, respectivamente, sendo o enfisema pulmonar, o cisto urinário e a teleangiectasia hepática as principais causas de condenação. Nos demais órgãos inspecionados, a contaminação foi a primeira causa de descarte de cabeça, intestinos, coração, língua e cauda, culminando com elevados percentuais de 83,9%, 63,3%, 49,8%, 80,2% e 73,2%, respectivamente, evidenciando a necessidade de acentuar os treinamentos dos funcionários da indústria envolvidos no processo de abate e tecnologia da carne e a importância da realização das inspeções sanitárias pelo Médico Veterinário oficial nos matadouros frigoríficos para a preservação da saúde da população.

Abstract This work aimed to determine the main causes of condemnation of carcasses and organs diagnosed by the official inspection service in the slaughterhouses under federal inspection that serve the state of Pará. The total number of lesions found in bovine carcasses was 60.511, which represented 0,78% of the total number of cattle slaughtered (7.706,638) during the study period. The contusion was the largest cause found in bovine carcasses with 21.270 findings (35.1%), followed by contamination with 17.865 occurrences (29.5%). The lungs, kidneys and liver were the most condemned viscera, covering a quantity of 1.038,623, 468.540 and 231.318, respectively, with pulmonary emphysema, urinary cyst and hepatic "telangiectasia" being the main causes of condemnation. In the other inspected organs, contamination was the first cause of head, intestine, heart, tongue and tail discarding, culminating with high percentages of 83.9%, 63.3%, 49.8%, 80.2% and 73.2%, respectively, evidencing the need to emphasize the training of the employees of the industry involved in the process of slaughter and meat technology and the importance of carrying out the sanitary inspections by the official Veterinarian in slaughterhouses for the preservation of the health of the population.

Resumen Este trabajo buscó determinar las principales causas de decomiso de canales bovinas y órganos diagnosticados por el servicio de inspección oficial, en los mataderos bajo inspección federal que atienden el estado de Pará. El número total de lesiones encontradas en las canales de bovinos fue de 60.511, lo que representó 0,78 % del total de bovinos sacrificados (7.706.638) durante el período estudiado. La contusión fue la principal causa encontrada en los cadáveres de bovinos con 21.270 hallazgos (35,1%), seguida de la contaminación con 17.865 ocurrencias (29,5%). Los pulmones, los riñones y el hígado fueron las vísceras más decomisadas con un total de 1.038.623, 468.540 y 231.318, respectivamente, siendo el enfisema pulmonar, el quiste urinario y la teleangiectasia hepática las principales causas de condena. En los demás órganos inspeccionados, la contaminación fue la principal causa de disposición de la cabeza, intestinos, corazón, lengua y cola, culminando en altos porcentajes de 83,9%, 63,3%, 49,8%, 80,2% y 73,2%, respectivamente, mostrando la necesidad para potenciar la formación de los empleados de la industria involucrados en el proceso de sacrificio y tecnología cárnica y la importancia de realizar inspecciones sanitarias por parte del Veterinario oficial en los mataderos para la preservación de la salud de la población.

Leptospira strains isolated from cattle in the Amazon region, Brazil, evidence of a variety of species and serogroups with a high frequency of the Sejroe serogroup.

In Brazil, there have been few leptospires isolated from cattle, especially in the Amazon, implying that the epidemiology of the disease in this region is still largely unclear. In a previous study, 52 Leptospira isolates were obtained from urine of cattle raised in the Brazilian Amazon and, to achieve a greater understanding of Leptospira infection in cattle of this region, the present study aimed to serologically and molecularly characterizes all these isolates. The laboratory assays used were the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) adopting a panel of polyclonal antisera against Leptospira spp. for serogrouping the isolates, DNA sequencing (secY) and multiple locus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA). The isolates belonged to five species: 20/52 were identified as L. borgpetersenii (38.5 %); 18/52 as L. kirschneri (34.6 %); 9/52 as L. santarosai (17.3 %); 3/52 as L. noguchii (5.8 %) and 2/52 as L. interrogans (3.8 %). With serogrouping, nine different serogroups were detected, with a high frequency of the Sejroe serogroup. MLVA showed that all L. borgpetersenii isolates had a profile compatible with serovar Hardjo; moreover, the other isolates demonstrated a diversity of patterns, and some of them may represent strains not yet characterized. In the Brazilian Amazon, the leptospires circulating in cattle revealed the unique aspects of infections in this area which, in addition to a variety of strains, were characterized by a high frequency of the Sejroe serogroup, highlighting the serovar Hardjo, which has not been reported in other regions of Brazil.

Comparação entre a análise macroscópica realizada durante a inspeção em abatedouro bovino e o exame microscópico na detecção de processos patológicos / Comparison between the macroscopic analysis during the inspection in bovine slaughterhouse and the microscopic examination to detect pathological processes

O presente trabalho teve por objetivo comparar o resultado da análise macroscópica realizada pelo Serviço de Inspeção Federal durante o exame post-mortem com a avaliação das características microscópicas de lesões indicativas de doenças em órgãos e vísceras condenados, em um matadouro-frigorífico do município de Castanhal, Pará. Amostras de diferentes órgãos e vísceras condenados pelo Serviço de Inspeção durante a análise post mortem foram coletadas em um matadouro-frigorífico e encaminhadas ao Laboratório de Anatomia Patológica da Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária da Universidade Federal do Pará – Campus Castanhal, para realizar a análise histopatológica. Durante o período de quatro meses foram acompanhados 30.223 abates bovinos, que resultaram em 12.467 órgãos e vísceras condenados, dos quais foram coletadas 26 amostras para o presente trabalho. Este estudo demonstrou que o diagnóstico macroscópico realizado pelos agentes de inspeção foi compatível com a análise microscópica em 20 (76,9 %) das 26 amostras analisadas. Neste contexto, os critérios de condenação sanitária adotados pelos agentes de inspeção foram muito semelhantes aos resultados de diagnósticos histopatológicos encontrados neste trabalho.

This study aimed at comparing the result of macroscopic analysis performed by the Federal Inspection Service during the post-mortem examination and the evalation of the microscopic characteristicsof lesions indicative of diseases in the condemned organs and viscera in an industrial slaughterhouse in the city of Castanhal, Pará-Brazil. Samples of diverse organs and viscera condemned by Federal Inspection Service during the post-mortem investigation were collected in a slaughterhouse locatedin the city of Castanhal-Pará. These samples were sent to the Pathology Laboratory of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Federal University of Pará – Campus Castanhal, where the histopathological analysis was performed. During the four-month period, 30,223 cattle slaughter were followed,and of these 12.467 organs and viscera were condemned. Among the condemned samples, 26 werecollected for conducting the study. This investigation showed that the macroscopic diagnosis performedby the inspection agents were consistent with the microscopy analysis findings in 20 (76.9 %)of 26 evaluated samples. In this context, the sanitary condemnation criteria adopted by the inspection agents were very similar to the histopathological diagnosis results found in this study.