PREVALENCE OF MAJOR PATHOGENS ON SHEEP CARCASSES SLAUGHTERED IN ITALY

Sheep are known to be a major vector of the most common zoonoses such as Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157, and Clostridium perfringens. The aim of the present study is to detect the presence of these pathogens in ovine carcasses immediately after slaughtering, in order to collect useful data for risk assessment. Ovine carcasses (n=320) from different European countries were sampled using surface swabs and a destructive method. Campylobacter spp. was detected on 10 carcasses (3.12%), E. coli O157 on 13 (4.06%), Salmonella spp. on 2 (0.62%), Clostridium perfringens on 6 out of 150 carcasses sampled (4%). No Listeria monocytogenes was detected.