The use of meat juice serology for the control of Toxoplasma gondii, Salmonella spp. and Yersinia spp. in pig slaughterhouses

Trenutno obavezna makroskopska vizualna inspekcija mesa ne moţe detektirati najĉešće patogene koje se prenose svinjskim mesom (Salmonella spp., Yersinia enterocolitica i Toxoplasma gondii). Uzevši u obzir zahtjevnost, dugotrajnost i kompliciranost izvoĊenja konvencionalnih laboratorijskih mikrobioloških pretraga na Yersinia enterocolitica i Salmonella spp., te nedostatak pogodne praktiĉne metode za direktnu detekciju Toxoplasma gondii, brojne mogućnosti i prilike predviĊaju se u primjeni serologije mesnog soka kao neizravne metode praćenja prisutnosti rizika s obzirom na navedene patogene. Cilj ovog istraţivanja je utvrditi seroprevalenciju navedenih patogena u promatranoj populaciji svinja u Hrvatskoj te analizirati opravdanost primjene serologije mesnog soka unutar klaonica svinja. Ukupno je pretraţen 91 uzorak mesnog soka domaćih svinja od kojih 54 uzorka mesnog soka potjeĉu s 18 velikih svinjogojskih farmi na kojima je prosjeĉno tovljeno 3793 svinje godišnje, te 37 uzoraka mesnog soka koji potjeĉu s 18 seoskih domaćinstava koja prosjeĉno drţe 8 svinja na gospodarstvu. Prisutnost IgG protutijela na Toxoplasma gondii, Yersinia spp. i Salmonella spp. odreĊena je komercijalnim ELISA kitovima s inaktiviranim antigenom (Indical Bioscience GmbH, Leipzig, Njemaĉka). Protutijela za Toxoplasma gondii pronaĊena su u 13,18% svinja i na 16,67% farmi, dok su Salmonella spp. protutijela pronaĊena kod 48,35 % svinja i na 63,8 % farmi. Ukupno je 13,18 % svinja na 27,7 % farmi bilo seropozitivno na Yersinia spp. Serologija mesnog soka prepoznata je kao brza, jednostavna i lako izvediva metoda te isplativi sustav monitoringa i kontrole Toxoplasma gondii, Salmonella spp. i Yersinia enterocolitica unutar klaonica svinja koja bi povećala sigurnost u cijelom lancu mesa.Currently, the mandatory macroscopic visual inspection of meat cannot detect the most common pathogens transmitted by pork (Salmonella spp., Yersinia enterocolitica and Toxoplasma gondii). Taking into account the high demanding, long and complicated performance of conventional laboratory microbiological tests for Yersinia enterocolitica and Salmonella spp., and the lack of a suitable practical method for the direct detection of Toxoplasma gondii, numerous possibilities and opportunities are foreseen in the application of meat juice serology as an indirect method of monitoring the presence of risks for mentioned pathogens. The aim of this research is to determine the seroprevalence of the mentioned pathogens in the observed pig population in Croatia and to analyze the justification for the use of meat juice in pig slaughterhouses. A total of 91 samples of meat juice from domestic pigs were analyzed, of which 54 samples of meat juice come from 18 large pig farms where an average of 3793 pigs are fattened per year, and 37 samples of meat juice come from 18 rural households that keep an average of 8 pigs on the farm. The presence of IgG antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii, Yersinia spp., and Salmonella spp. was determined by commercial ELISA kits with inactivated antigen (Indical Bioscience GmbH, Leipzig, Germany). Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii were found in 13,18 % of pigs and in 16,67 % of farms, while Salmonella spp. antibodies were found in 48,35 % of pigs and in 63,8 % of farms. In total, 13,18 % of pigs on 27,7 % of farms were seropositive for Yersinia spp. Meat juice serology is recognized as a quick, simple and easy-to-implement method and a cost-effective monitoring and control system for Toxoplasma gondii, Salmonella spp., and Yersinia enterocolitica in pig slaughterhouses that can increase safety throughout the meat chain