Estimation of bacterial contamination of carcasses of camel in Elobeid slaughterhouse, North Kordofan State, Sudan

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate the bacteriological contamination in camel carcasses in El-Obeid slaughterhouse, North Kordofan State, A total of 156 swab samples were collected from 32 carcasses for identification of the isolates and bacterial total viable counts (TVCs). The mean total viable count of bacteria after skinning, evisceration and washing operations at shoulder site were 7.52 ±0.08,7.49±0.9 and 7.51±0.12 log10CFU/cm2, in the neck site were 7.49±0.12 ,7.50±0.18 and 7.47±0.15 log10 CFU/cm2 and in brisket site were 7.48±0.12,7.54±0.07 and 7.48±0.11 respectively with statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). In addition, in the rump site, the TVCs in these operations were 7.45±0.16,7.45±0.18and 7.48±0.07 Iog10 CFU/cm2 in three points of operation with statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). Also, there were statistically significant difference (P < 0.05) in TVCs between knives and worker hands during the three operations. Three species of bacteria were isolated and the highest average prevalence was Staphylococcus spp56.22%, Salmonella 28.89% and Escherichia coli 22.88%. It is concluded that the level of bacterial contamination in camel carcasses at El-Obeid slaughterhouse, North Kordofan State was very high and constituted a real public health hazard as pathogenic and toxicogenic. It is recommended that proper washing of camel carcasses using treated water should be applied during slaughtering processes to reduce the level of contamination with microorganism, increasing the awareness of the workers of the slaughterhouse about the importance of public health in their work.