An Assessment of Meat Inspection for Bovine Tuberculosis and the Functional Conditions of Major Abattoirs/ Slaughter Slabs in Rivers State

Year 2020, Volume: 3 Issue: 3, 205 - 210, 01.07.2020

Isaiah Oruene , Sandra Ndukwe

Abstract

Bovine tuberculosis is a chronic zoonotic disease caused by Mycobacterium bovis characterized by the formation tubercles. This study assessed meat inspection for bovine tuberculosis and the functional conditions of the major abattoirs in Rivers State between March and July, 2019 and revealed that of the five major slaughter slabs within Port Harcourt metropolis; Rumuokoro, Choba, Trans-Amadi, Aluu, and Mile 3 slaughter slabs, only Trans-Amadi abattoir had meat inspection going on as it was the only abattoir having meat inspectors. The total occurrence of bovine tuberculosis at the Trans-Amadi abattoir was 1.25% (173/13835).It was 0.54% (15/2780), 0.46% (13/2840), 2.02% (56/2770), 1.72% (47/2735) and 1.55% (42/2710) for the months of March, April, May, June and July respectively, the highest being in May. The organs affected mostly were the lungs, mediastinal and bronchial lymph nodes, liver, spleen, mesenteric and retropharyngeal lymph nodes. Ante mortem examinations were not carried out. The other four slaughter slabs never had meat inspectors, sanitary workers, records of diseases detected as there was no concern to detect diseased animals. Overall, the slaughter slabs were all in a state of disrepair. Abattoir workers were not properly dressed. There was very little or no meat inspection in Rivers State and even when done, meat inspectors often couldn’t condemn infected carcasses. There were never situations where whole carcass was condemned, even in generalized cases. The infected carcasses were put for sale and purchased by ignorant citizens. Public health was therefore being undermined

Keywords

Assessment, Bovine tuberculosis, Meat inspection, Functional conditions

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