[Veterinary medicine and public health or better: veterinary public health]. / Diergeneeskunde en Volksgezondheid ofwel Veterinaire Volksgezondheid.

The development of veterinary medicine and its impact on public health are outlined in this overview. In relation to this, we speak of Veterinary Public Health. In 1865, the liberal J.R. Thorbecke initiated the institution of the later independent 'State Supervisory Public Health Inspectorate' was set up in 1920, as a consequence of the Meat Inspection Act of 1919, and became part of the State Supervisory Service. In 1925 the 'Veterinary Public Health Inspectorate', which was part of the Ministry of Public Health, and the 'Veterinary Service', which was part of the Ministry of Agriculture, formed together a so-called 'Personal Union'. This Union came to an end in 1984. During the nearly 60 years of its existence, and especially after the Second World War, the Union has contributed enormously to public health by controlling zoonoses and decreasing chemical contaminants in foodstuffs. In these achievements it has worked in collaboration with veterinary surgeons, meat inspection services, and research institutes such as the National Institute of Public Health and Environment (RIVM), the Institute for Animal Science and Health (ID-Lelystad), and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

[Fecal analysis of beef cattle for the presence of Escherichia coli serotype O157:H7]. / Onderzoek van faeces van slachtrunderen op de aanwezigheid van Escherichia coli serotype O157:H7.

A total of 550 faecal samples of cattle was examined on the presence of Escherichia coli serotype O157:H7 using a method comprising a selective enrichment and isolation medium. Escherichia coli O157:H7 was not isolated from any of the samples tested.

Salmonella enteritidis eradication programme in poultry breeder flocks in The Netherlands.

Results of a Salmonella enteritidis eradication programme in poultry breeder flocks in The Netherlands in 1989-1992 are presented. A top-down approach was performed, which means if infection is cleared out from the top end (breeding stock), and good hygiene standards are maintained throughout the industry, the infection will be progressively cleared from the whole of the national stock. Each year all poultry breeder flocks (approx. 2300) were screened for the presence of S. enteritidis by bacteriological examination of caecal droppings until 1 April 1992. After that date, screening was carried out with a 'double-antibody sandwich blocking' (DAS blocking) ELISA-method. Treatment of S. enteritidis-positive flocks, even in production, with Baytril (enrofloxacin) and competitive exclusion flora turned out to be a good alternative for slaughtering these flocks. The top-down approach seems to be successful also in relation to S. enteritidis infection in humans in The Netherlands, since no further increase of human infections has been observed during the last 3 years.

[Rendering of animal material in the Netherlands (author's transl)]. / Die Beseitigung von tierischem Abfall in den Niederlanden.

Just before the World War II rendering of all material of animal origin unfit for human and animal consumption was a fact and was later on regulated by Decree in 1942. The rendering act dates from 1957 referring to as "processing into useful product". There is a compulsery rendering which means that withdrawal of the material mentioned from rendering is in general prohibited. Material for rendering must be notified. In use is the dry rendering system (atmospheric batch cookers). At the moment there are four (three large and one small) rendering plants, the first being established in 1926, and they are under strict government supervision but not under government management. A licence is needed. Supervision is carried out by the Veterinary Public Health Inspectorate. After heating no micro-organism must be present and therefore regular checks for Clostridium perfringens as an indicator organism are carried out besides a contol of ther thermocharts. Recontamination should be avoided. As a result of the extensive bacteriological control since 1972 (Salmonella and other enterobacteriaceae, the latter as indicator organisms) there has been noticed a still growing improvement of the hygienic condition in the rendering plants. During the past half year Salmonella could not be isolated from samples endproduct. Transportation of raw material for rendering after notification to the head of the municipal meat inspection service is done by the rendering plant in completely watertight vehicles. There is a Rendering Board which must be consulted when legislative measures related to rendering are taken.

Epidemiological studies on salmonella in a certain area ("Walcheren project") III. The presence of salmonella in man, insects, seagulls and in foods, chopping-block scrapings from butcher's shops, effluent of sewage treatment plants and drains of butcher's shops.

For a period of three months in a relatively small area (Walcheren), various materials (meat and meat products, insects, seagull droppings, chopping-block scrapings from butcher's shops, effluent of sewage treatment plants, drains from butcher's shops and stools of patients) were examined again for the presence of Salmonella as a continuation of previous investigations. As had been the case in previous studies, S. typhimurium (27.5%), S. panama (22.2%) and S. brandenburg (9.2%) were the three most frequently isolated serotypes. The three most frequently isolated phage types of S. typhimurium were II 505 (62.1%) II 502 (5.3%) and I 650 (4.2%). The serotypes and phage types were present in almost all the materials examined which again emphasizes the fact that there are contamination cycles of Salmonella. These studies show that the route of contamination divides in the butcher's shops. Salmonella organisms carried with the meat from the slaughter-house find their way into the drains on the one hand, and through meat and meat products, to the consumer on the other. Moreover, the high degree of contamination of effluent is not in accordance with the small number of cases of salmonellosis in man.