Three pig abattoirs in northeastern Germany were visited for examination of flexible plastic doors at the access to the chilling room. Swabs were taken from the front and back of the doors and were examined for aerobic plate count, Enterobacteriaceae, Salmonella, and Campylobacter. The aerobic plate count was within the range of 1.2 to 4.1 log CFU/cm2 on the front. On the back, between 0.9 and 3.5 log CFU/cm2 were obtained. In all three abattoirs, Enterobacteriaceae, Salmonella, and Campylobacter were detected. The highest contamination was found at the bottom of the door wings. Transfer of pathogens via contact of carcasses and doors must be considered possible. As a consequence, this contact surface should be integrated into the control program of cleaning and disinfection.
For the implementation of tracing back systems (particular agents, unwanted observation and other), detection techniques should be available. For MAIC, a step-by-step approach was established, combining visual observation, lab based PCRidentification, tracing back to the farm of origin and finally the search for potential ports of entry: • Recording of observations as part of internal or veterinary recording system • Using a PCR based identification procedure, the agent could be identified • Based on the ID of the farm, farms at risk could be traced back • Investigations for ports of entry on farm level may follow.
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