Abattoir surveillance: the U.S. experience

Abattoir, or slaughter, surveillance has been an important component of bovine tuberculosis control and eradication programs in the U.S., and has adapted to changes in the livestock market from farm to table, and the threat of bovine tuberculosis from a wildlife reservoir. The purpose of this overview was to describe the current goals of U.S. bovine tuberculosis slaughter surveillance, describe the elements of slaughter surveillance in the U.S., describe enhancements to the slaughter surveillance system, and discuss future challenges for the U.S. bovine tuberculosis surveillance program. Government regulations and the scientific literature were examined to provide information for this paper. The control and eradication of bovine tuberculosis in livestock falls to the United States Department of Agriculture and two agencies within the Department: the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). FSIS conducts routine slaughter surveillance for disease or conditions that render carcasses unsuitable for human consumption, while APHIS is involved in antemortem bovine tuberculosis testing, and necropsy and investigation of bovine tuberculosis cases identified through slaughter surveillance or antemortem testing. Results from the previous 5 years of surveillance are presented. Enhancements have been added to the current surveillance system to improve its performance. An incentive program has been used to increase the numbers of tissues submitted for laboratory examination, the state of Michigan is implementing electronic animal identification under a pilot program, and expansions to the current system are being developed to accommodate new livestock industries. The success of these programs and challenges for the future are discussed.