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Efficiency of slaughterhouse surveillance for the detection of bovine tuberculosis in cattle in Northern Ireland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 December 2016

A. V. PASCUAL-LINAZA*
Affiliation:
Surveillance and Antimicrobial Resistance, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Dundonald House, Belfast, UK
A. W. GORDON
Affiliation:
Biometrics Branch, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Belfast, UK
L. A. STRINGER
Affiliation:
Animal and Plant Health Agency, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey, UK
F. D. MENZIES
Affiliation:
Veterinary Epidemiology Unit, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Dundonald House, Belfast, UK
*
*Author for correspondence: Ms. A. V. Pascual-Linaza, Surveillance and Antimicrobial Resistance, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Dundonald House, Belfast BT4 3SB, UK. (Email: ana.pascual@daera-ni.gov.uk)
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Summary

Post-mortem examination continues to play an important surveillance role in the bovine tuberculosis (bTB) eradication programme in Northern Ireland. It is estimated that 18–28% of new bTB herd breakdowns are disclosed by the detection of bTB lesions in animals routinely slaughtered. The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of different slaughterhouses in Northern Ireland in detecting bTB-lesioned animals at routine slaughter (LRS) and to apply the findings to maximize the sensitivity of bTB slaughterhouse surveillance. Univariate statistical analysis on cattle slaughtered in Northern Ireland during 2011–2013 revealed that the risk of LRS disclosure varied between slaughterhouses, ranging from 0·08% to 0·54%. Furthermore, the risk of confirmation of these LRS as bTB varied between slaughterhouses, ranging from 57·9% to 72·4%. Logistic regression modelling of selected risk factors found that the risk of LRS disclosure increased with age, and was higher in purchased animals, during winter months, in animals coming from high bTB incidence areas and in animals slaughtered from herds with a bTB restriction in the last 2–3 years. Adjusting for these selected factors, the risk of LRS disclosure and bTB confirmation changed very little from the univariable analysis, suggesting that differences in disclosure risks between slaughterhouses were likely to be due to factors related to the slaughterhouses, rather than to the risk status of the animals presented. Examination of procedures within these slaughterhouses is recommended to identify ways that could increase the sensitivity of their bTB surveillance.

Information

Type
Original Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 
Figure 0

Fig. 1. Location of the ten bovine slaughterhouses in Northern Ireland.

Figure 1

Table 1. Distribution of numbers and percentages of slaughtered animals from 2011 to 2013 within each of the categories of variables considered. Distribution of numbers and percentages of LRS disclosed and confirmed from 2011 to 2013 within each of the categories of variables considered

Figure 2

Fig. 2. Geographical representation of patch incidences (minimum, first quartile, median, third quartile and maximum values used to create the four categories represented) in 2011, 2012 and 2013 in Northern Ireland.

Figure 3

Table 2. Univariable and multivariable (logistic regression) model outputs of risk factors for the disclosure of bTB lesions in cattle at routine slaughter (LRS)

Figure 4

Table 3. Univariable and multivariable (logistic regression) outputs of risk factors for the confirmation of bTB lesions in cattle at routine slaughter (LRS)

Figure 5

Table 4. LRS disclosure risk (expressed as a percentage) and ranking by slaughterhouse (1 = lowest risk and 10 = high risk). Adjusted values by age, sex, slaughter season, patch incidence, OTF time and purchased variables

Figure 6

Table 5. Crude and adjusted confirmation risk (expressed as a percentage) by slaughterhouse (1 = lowest risk and 10 = high risk). Adjusted values by age, sex, slaughter season, patch incidence, OTF time and purchased variables